Untitled
by Sawyersgirl
Summary: It was supposed to be their last hurrah before Josh left. They were supposed to have the 'adventure of a lifetime', but when things took an unexpected turn...If You like this read Teddy!
1. In to the wild blue yonder

Untitled

Chapter One

..Into the wild blue yonder

The bright afternoon sun shone through the windows, creating a checkered pattern on the desk. Boxes filled the once large room, now it seemed even larger. The bay window, which once was blocked by the tv and desk, was now plain and in full view. It was depressing to think that this room would be turned into an office once both of them were gone forever.

Josh sat at the desk writting a letter to himself, dorky yes, but Josh had already opened the ones that he'd written to himself in grade school, one's that were hidden in those silly time capsules. One's not intended to be opened untill you were older, but you'd sneak peaks in every once and awhile just to make sure that everything was still there.

He was going to college, not just any college, Harvard. He was going to leave Drake here, in San Diego while he went on to study medicine and become a doctor so he could save lives someday. He was doing what everyone told him to do, never once did he step a hair out of line, unless it wasn't his fault and he was coerced into doing so by either Drake or Megan. Nope, Josh was a good kid and he was going on to do great things like everyone told him he was.

He folded the letter, placed it into an evelope and placed it ontop of the only unclosed box. The room was so empty without Josh's things. It looked like it had four years ago when he first moved in and Drake had thrown a fit and camped in the yard for a week.

"How's the packing going?" Drake asked as he walked into the room and threw Josh a can of Moca Cola.

"I'm done now. How empty does this room feel?"

"Pretty empty." Drake sighed as he sat down next to his brother on the red couch. "I'm going to miss you Josh." Drake confessed. Over the years the dorky, magic loving, kid he loved to hate had actually become more of a dorky, magic loving, adult that he learned to respect and actually enjoy being around.

"I'm not going away forever." Josh stated. "Plus you get 'your room that you spent _all summer_ on' back."

"It's our room now Josh. I can't just undo all the dork you've put into it." Drake joked.

They sat there in a quiet ambiance, the sun reflecting off of the dust in the air. Drake sighed, he wasn't going anywhere next year. He was staying in this room slacking off and doing nothing but play a little guitar here and there. No he wasn't going to take a year off to travel or to do some other peace corps type thing. He was staying home because no college wanted him, if you put it bluntly. All his letters came back with _Sorry but your grades don't match our acedemic standards. Try again next fall once you've improved your transcript. _or something else along those lines.

"Josh, sweetie let's pack your things into the car." their mom said as she poked her head into the doorway.

"Sure, this one's pretty light." Josh said handing her a box labeled, clothing. Drake grabbed a couple of boxes and within 20 minutes Drake's car was packed.

Drake and Josh had planned this for their last 'adventure' together. Driving cross country to Harvard then Drake was driving back alone. Though Audrey had worried about Drake's ability to drive cross country by himself was what had prompted her to say no, but Walter saying it was a good life experience had made her changer her mind. Two weeks is what they had to get there, taking time out to see some sights, Josh excited about seeing things like The Grand Canyon, The Mississippi River, Washington D.C. and looking out onto the Atlantic Seaboard didn't ease his fears of college life. Drake on the other hand was estatic about seeing Las Vegas, New York City, and all the hott girls they'd meet from each town. He planned on one girl for every state. He'd pull the whole, I'm-a-traveling-musician-bit.

"You two have everything you need? Extra clothing, money, the credit card for emergencies?" Audrey fussed as they got ready to go.

"Yes Mom we do don't worry. I've got the credit card in my pocket." Josh said out the passenger window. Reassuring Audrey that the families bank account would not run dry. She was pretty angry about the whole incident with Megan in LA. Drake and Josh's little 'mistake' had caused them quite a lot of money. Both boy's had to pay her back with the gig and money they got for capturing the two guys.

"Drake you be careful. If you get lost ask someone for help. And don't be afraid to call us, we'll come pick you up if you get lost." She worried more. Walter placed his hands on her shoulders to comfort her.

"I'm sure the boy's will be alright. They're adults now. Behave you two." Walter said as he gave them a look that meant, if-you-mess up- don't-expect-us-to-be-happy.

"We will." Both said in unison. Drake started the ignition and they all said their last goodbyes as he drove out of the driveway.

"Goodbye boobs." Megan smiled as she skipped back inside. She was going to Denver again to stay with her friend most of the summer. She needed to pack to. At least her parents were going to drive her this time.

"They've grown up so much." Audrey said as she dried a few tears from her eyes.

"I'm amazed at how they've become friends." Walter added. "They didn't even want to acknowledge each other in the first place."

"I'm so proud of them."

"Me too."

They walked inside hand in hand. Both to proud and sad at the same time. Their boys were adults now, they were venturing out into the world, a world that is at times unforgiving and relentless. But they knew that it had to happen, they had to leave the nest and fly. They just didn't expect it to come so soon.


	2. So where are we?

Chapter Two

So where are we?

The setting afternoon sun was blinding, Drake reached over and placed his sunglasses on. Josh was sleeping in the seat next to him, Drake thought about turning on the radio to wake him up, just so he'd have someone to talk to, but the whirring of the wheels on the road was soothing.

In his four years of high school Drake Parker never once went to a school dance, went to one football game (just to see Josh play), never made a grade higher than a lone B, and never ever had a serious girlfriend. High school was a game to him, a game that he didn't intend on winning, but a game that he knew he'd have fun playing. He looked back on his highschool career with no regrets, well except for the fact that he never had a serious girlfriend.

He hated how Josh was so happy with Mindy Crenshaw. He hated how their fidelity towards one another was like something straight out of an epic love story.

The sky was turing hazy shades of pink, red, and purple as Drake entered Nevada. 6 hours in a car was enough. The next motel that they passed was where they were spending the night.

Josh wasn't really sleeping, just resting his eyes. He knew Drake wouldn't notice if he woke up completley. He was watching the landscape out the window. From the looks of it they were outside Reno, the ramshackle houses were a good indication. Nervous about having to make new friends, Josh didn't want this trip to come to an end. He'd never admit it but Drake was his only 'true friend', well if you could count Drake as a friend. If their parents had never gotten married, they'd never be in this car together, they'd have never have even talked.

"Tell me if you see a motel." Drake said, startling Josh and breaking the peacful silence.

"Sure can."

Twenty minutes and one In and Out burger later they found a cheap motel. The bright neon sign overhead told them they were infact outside of Reno. The motel was borderline crap hole. One queen size bed with disgusting sheets that hadn't been washed since maybe Regan was in office. The wallpaper peeling off the walls and cracked ceiling added to the unpleasantness of it all. Josh cringed as he pulled off the disgusting sheets and put his own on. Drake smiled, his brother was always anal and yet thoughtful like that.

"Who think's of bringing extra sheets?" Drake laughed.

"I do. I don't like using hotel things. It's just wrong." Josh retorted tucking in the flannel sheets.

Drake grabbed a can of lukewarm Dr. Fizz out of the mini fridge in the room and sat on Josh's neatly made bed. The motel didn't have cable and all that came in was the regional access news. Josh sat down next to him obviously wanting to start some sort of brotherly bonding converstation.

"You know what Drake..." Josh began. From the tone of it Drake could tell it was going to be another Josh probing him kind of night.

"What?" Drake replied.

"I've always admired you Drake. You're so popular and like every single girl likes you. You're never alone on a Saturday night and you've gone so much further than I have have." Josh confessed as his shoulder slouched a little. He knew Drake never envied him like that.

"How do you know for sure I've gone further than you ever have. For all you know I'm still a virgin." Drake retorted as he sat up more.

"It's only logical that I would assume Drake. You've never given me tips on like kissing girls and what not. Just tips on how to make them think I'm cool. Every time I try to go further with Mindy she just pushes me away."

"First off I do not want to hear about you and Mindy. Josh if you want to you know...have sex, don't date girls like Mindy." Drake stated bluntly. The truth hurt, didn't it?

"Drake I really like Mindy. I respect the fact that she wants to wait until marriage but I don't think I want to go to college never going past first base."

"Wait? You've never been past first?" Drake replied in shock. "Dude...that sucks."

"Sorry I'm not more charming like you. Sorry girls just don't take off their clothes for me."

"It's not like that Josh. Girls will never take their clothes off for you. You have to tell them it's okay too. Women are complicated." Drake explained. It hurt him that his sexual experiences hurt his brother. He never wanted it to be a competition between them, that's why he never told Josh any of it.

"Then what is it like Drake? How are women complicated for you? You seem to have them all figured out."

"Josh remember Veronica?"

"The really cute blonde that you dated for like two months?"

"That's the one. She wouldn't kiss me for the longest time. I would have dumped her but... I wanted a challenge. Without going into detail, I ended up doing her by our 2 month anniversary. All it took was a necklace from Whittmans, some chocolate, and a whole lot of champaign." Drake smiled. Veronica, the girl he dated just because Trevor bet him that he wouldn't get her in bed. Boy was Trevor wrong, which made Drake 50 bucks and also very unpopular with the girls tennis team because he dumped her three days after.

"Drake, you dumped her three days after that." Josh stated in shock. "I'd rather die a virgin that do that to a girl."

"See Josh that's why you still are one. You're too sensitive. You actually care about the girl you want to have sex with. Sex is like riding a bike, you get better the more times you ride it...woa bad analogy. But anway your frist time isn't meant to be special it's supposed to be practice. You want to wow Mindy the first time right?"

"Right...but I'd feel so dirty."

"Take a bath after...so the only way to make sure you'll wow Mindy is if you practice." Drake said patting Josh on the back. "We just need to find you a girl out here, one you'll never see again, so you can lose your virginity and have a pretty awsome sex story to tell your roomates."

"Drake what happens if she...you know." Josh stuttered. Drake read his mind perfectly and reached into his duffle bag for something. He pulled out a little black box. He threw the box at Josh.

"Apparently those are useful." Drake joked as he saw the look on Josh's face.

"How did you manage to hide these from me and Megan, let alone Mom or Dad?" Josh asked indicating that he'd have found the box of condoms.

"No one ever bothers to look in my guitar case do they?" Drake stated.

"Drake I never actually thought you weren't a virgin."

"Are you serious? Man I thought you knew all along all those nights I came home late, all the rumors that went around school. Josh I lost my virginity to Jackie Phelps, in 10th grade. I was the big man on campus for a week because of it."

"I thought that was because you were a sophomore dating a senior."

"That was only half of it. Josh I promise you I'll get you a cute, nice, willing, girl in the next two weeks. Well I'm beat, I'll see you in the AM." Drake said as he quickly changed into his pajamas. Never shy about taking anything of in front of anyone.

Drake fell asleep almost as soon as he pulled the flannel sheets over him. Josh watched as the alarm clock by the bed flashed, 11:00, 12:30, by the time 1:45 rolled around he knew sleep wouldn't come. Josh had always been that way, he'd always had a restless mind. What he wouldn't give to just be able to lie down and fall asleep. He watched as the ever perfect Drake lay there in a state of dream euphoria.

In all of his four years of high school he followed the path that he was told to and expected to. Straight A's, Honors Club, Physics Club, Spanish Club, doing community service by visiting the elderly, having a steady girlfriend and not doing anything to sexual with her. What he wouldn't have given to get at least one C, to have actually known what it was like to be in the spotlight and been popular from something other than his twitching incident on KDJY with his Dad. Josh wanted what Drake had, he wanted to be the big man on campus, know what it was like to make it to more than first base with a girl, to know what it was like for once to be respected and admired by his peers.


	3. Viva Las Vegas

Chapter Three

Viva Las Vegas

Josh arrived in Las Vegas sometime around 5 or 6. He'd lost track of time and the clock in Drake's car didn't work, it was his excuse to be late all the time. Las Vegas looked like it did in all those commercals, he wondered if what happened there really stayed there, well it would if Drake was going to really hook him up with a girl.

"Drake we're here." Josh said softly incase his brother didn't want to be bothered.

"Yeah, I know. Man this place is awsome. Wonder if I can get a gig."

"I don't think you'll have a problem. If worse comes to worse just play outside the Venician or something." Josh laughed.

"I wonder where the next crappy hotel we'll find is." Drake sighed as the paced Cesars Palace and all the other fancy hotels that charged way too much for a room.

"It'd be off of the strip, unless you want to use the money I made when I sold the tanning bed." Josh suggested.

"How much did you make off that anyway?" Drake asked, doubting a bed with a broken heating element could sell for how much it took to rent out a room.

"Oh a few thousand. The Venician charges about 1,000 a night for a double room. We are only staying here one night?" Josh said as he held the money in front of Drake.

"Uh yeah we are. Josh I never knew you were so devious." Drake laughed as he pocketed the money, hey maybe they'd get a deal if Drake hit on the concierge long enough.

Josh pulled into the Venician, a valet parker took the car away, disgusted when the mess that Drake had compiled over the years spilled out. The boys walked into the Italian inspired hotel with gold leaf on the vaulted ceiling. Expensive crystal chandellers hugh from the ceiling and plus red carpeting was underneath their feet.

"Holy snot this place is decked." Drake gasped as he looked around.

"You can say that again." Josh stated.

They walked up to the counter, Drake making sure he got the prettiest, youngest looking concierge. She was a young blonde about twenty something. Drake knew she'd give in, all he had to do was play the right cards.

"Hey Ava," He said reading her name tag and giving her his I'm-so-hott-you-know-you-want-me face.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" She asked sweetly, hiding the fact that she was bored out of her mind. Boy's as good looking as this one don't come around often.

"Well, my brother and I need a room pretty bad but see we only have five hundred dollars. I know your rooms are a little more but I was wondering if I could take you out once your shift is over, you'd let that go." Drake explained slowly. He could tell by the way she bit her lip and ran her hand through her hair that she was giving in.

"I'm really not supposed to do that." She stated softly.

"Not even for a traveling musician like me?" That bit always worked.

"Well maybe I could, if you promise you'll play me a song."

"Well Ava, I'm pretty sure I can sing you a song as long as I can have that room." Drake winked at her, his wink was the last hook. He had her in his grasp, she was falling for the cute, innocent looking musician. He was truly born under a lucky star.

"Your room number is 213, here's your key. Hope you enjoy your stay at the Venician." She smiled.

"You can meet me at room 213 after your shift is done."

Drake walked away from the desk with the biggest smile on his face.

"Did it bro, got us a room for five hundred." Drake said as he threw Josh the key card.

"You're going to sleep with her aren't you?" Josh stated.

"You bet. Ava's going to have the night of a lifetime." Drake laughed as the entered the elevator.

"You sicken me."

"So what, I got us a room in the Venician didn't I? What's a little harmless sex with a random girl I'll never see again. Just think of it this way, we got the hotel deal of a lifetime and she gets the best sex story of a lifetime. It's a win win situation Josh."

They got off the elevator and entered the room. The plush duvet and bed sheets looked as if they'd actually been washed. The room was clean and there were two beds this time. After last night Drake had no desire to sleep with Josh again. He took up the whole bed, kicked Drake numerous times, snored like a hobo with a sinus infection, and worst of all stole all the covers.

"Looks like we get our own beds tonight." Drake stated as he sad down on the bed and started playing his guitar. He had to make that song up for Ava, and quick he had no idea when her shift was over.

"So where are you taking Ava?" Josh asked curious, he knew Drake had no idea what Vegas was like.

"Maybe the little white chaple." Drake joked. "Josh just kidding. Dude, I am in no way ready to get married." Drake added when he saw the look on Josh's face.

"You worry me."

"I know. It's my job to worry you."

Drake got up and changed his clothes. Being in a car that lacked AC in the hot Nevada dessert for most of the afternoon, didn't not make him smell all that pleasant. He reapplied deoderant and put on one of his favorite black shirt with pink and purple skulls on it. He combed his hair brushed his teeth and pulled on his O2 track jacket. When did he ever not look good?

"Josh why do you keep watching me?" Drake wondered as he noticed Josh was staring at him for the 20th time that night.

"You never seem to make me lose interest in you Drake Parker. You who uses girls to get what you want in life, you who ride by the seat of your pants, or better yet the look of your face. Drake Parker you do not have a concious." Josh stated from the chair he was sitting in.

"Well considering I don't know what one is, I'll assume you're right. Oh that must be Ava." Drake said as he bolted to the door. "How do I look?" He checked with Josh one more time. He always needed a second opinion.

"Like always." Josh muttered.

"Good." He said as he opened the door. "Why you look stunning. How are you this fine evening?" Drake complemented as he took Ava's arm in his.

She was wearing tight jeans with a dark maroon polo shirt. She had a pair of jade chandellier earings on and strappy sandals. She was pretty with her curly blonde hair. She was every girl that Drake had ever dated.

"So where are we going?" He asked her as the walked towards the elevator.

"I don't know. You ever been to vegas before?" She asked as his hand found it's way into hers.

"No, I'm traveling through on my way to New York." He half lied. Her hand was soft and warm, it was looking out to be a pretty good night.

Josh sat on the edge of his bed watching Oprah. Who was he kidding thinking Drake was actually going to help him. Who was he kidding when he thought that he and Drake would finally finish the bond they'd been starting, who was he kidding when he had the insane idea that maybe this trip would make Drake grow up, would make him realize what he'd been doing all these years. He knew it wouldn't happen, it couldn't possibly happen a tiger doesn't just change its stripes and being a womanizing, self centered, macho, jerk were Drake's stripes. It'd take a lot more than a confession from a brother to change him.

Josh sighed as he turned off the tv and crawled into bed. His parents could have easily bought him a plane ticket and sent his stuff to Harvard, they could have easily driven him, he could have taken the bus, but no Josh had to ask Drake if he wanted to drive cross country with him on a trip that could have changed their lives, it could have changed his life, it might change his life, if only he'd let it.

Josh turned off the light and fell into a light sleep waiting for Drake to come back.

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you so much for your reviews! I really like this story too and I'm wicked excited to actually write it...kind of like I was when I wrote Give and Take. Sorry for those of you that liked Broken Innocence, but I have no idea where that story is going, I'm thinking I might make it a prequel to this...and for those of you who might be wondering about What Tommorrow Held...well I'll work on that soonish. Vaca is comming up!

Mo


	4. Grow Up Already

Chapter Four

Grow Up Already

Drake and Ava, after visiting various bars and clubs all night stumbled into her hotel room, both very buzzed. Ava being 21 got in legally, Drake used his fake ID that he and Trevor used back home. The non-impared Drake would have gone back to his suite knowing Josh would worry when he woke up to him not there, the impared Drake didn't. He was going to score with another older chick tonight, he didn't care what Josh thought, when it came to girls Drake never cared about Josh's input. He was the one having sex wasn't he?

"So Drake you going to play me that song?" Ava cooed as she sat on Drake's lap.

"In the morning I don't have my guitar with me." He explained as he gently kissed her. One thing led to another and like so many times before both their clothes were on the floor and he was under the covers with a girl he didn't care about.

He knew all the right things to say and to do. He knew how to tell a girl she was beautiful, that he loved her, that she was the only one for him. All bull, he knew the complexities of women. He knew that they needed to feel secure and be reassured that he wouldn't hurt them. Yeah right, he always hurt them.

After finishing he lay there on his back, Ava's head on his chest, blonde hair cascading, warm breath on his skin, yeah he liked sex...a lot, and apparently he was good at it. He was the master of seduction, a real James Bond, except that he didn't go around saving the world afterwards.

He could feel the hangover comming on, he kissed the top of Ava's head and fell into a deep sleep.

Josh awoke the next morning to find an empty unmaid bed next to his. Normally Drake would just fuck a girl then sneak back, in the wee hours of the morning. He rarely woke up to an empty bed across from his. He got up and moaned.

"Where the hell is he? He's so dead when he comes back." Josh muttered under his breath. "We have to be on the road by noon and here it is almost 10."

Josh went into the bathroom and started the shower.

Drake woke to Ava's arms around him. He carefully unwound them and got up and put his clothes back on. Sure he thought about leaving her there, no goodbyes, no acknowledgement of him even being there, but he knew it was rude. He wrote her a letter, at least she'd have some proof that he was there last night, that her sex story had some validity to it.

_Ava,_

_Thanks for showing me a good time in Vegas. What happened here will really stay here. Call me sometime _

_cell: 886-4852_

_Love,_

_Drake_ _Parker_

So she'd call maybe, hell if something happened between them down the line it'd be one of those awsome stories he could tell his grandchildren of how Grandma and Grandpa Parker met, but the chances were slim. She'd probably sell it on EBay once he was famous.

Josh got out of the shower and put on his clothes. There were trying to hit Arizona today, if they were lucky they'd make it to the Grand Canyon.

Drake walked into their suite and lay down on the bed. His head was killing him, he'd taken some Advil at Ava's place but pills rarely helped with hangovers.

Josh heard him walk in and went over to him, furious that his brother would do that to him.

"So how was the sex last night Drake? You use a condom and everything?" Josh asked, the tone of his voice rising.

"Josh don't talk please." Drake moaned putting his hand over his head.

"Fine,but when you're over your hangover you bet I'll be talking." Josh stated as he finished getting ready.

Drake hadn't unpacked so he had a few minutes to relax. Josh was pissed that Drake made him check out because he didn't want to say anything to Ava and that Drake had been too hungover to drive.

They'd been on the road for hours, passing nothing but dry, baren dessert. Josh was beginning to feel tired and worried that he might fall asleep. In the past three hours there'd been only one lone pick up truck on the road they were one and they'd stopped at a gas station about 20 miles back.

Josh thought he was having one of those mirage type moments when he thought he saw steam comming out from the front hood, but he was brought back to reality when the check engine light came on and the car sputtered then stopped. Drake was asleep in the next seat, no doubt sleeping off the hangover. Josh pulled over and unpopped the hood. He checked the oil, it was good, checked the transmission fluild, good, checked the water cooler in the radiator...but burned his hand trying to unscrew the cap but figured it was fine.

Drake woke up to see the hood of his car open, smoke emitting from underneath it and Josh nowhere in sight. Drake opened the door and hopped out, the mid-afternoon sun beating down on him, he wondered how anyone could live like this. He saw Josh standing over the hood.

"What the hell happened?" Drake asked worried that his car had finally given up on him.

"Don't know." Josh stated. "All I know is we're stuck in a 100 degree dessert, with nothing to drink or eat, waiting for a car to drive by. And Drake the last car I saw that passed us was three hours ago."

"Where's the nearest gas station?" Drake asked. Maybe they could walk, they did have nalgenes full of water.

"20 miles that way." Josh said as he pointed behind the car. "We can walk. Sure beats sitting here waiting. If we see someone while we're walking to a gas station it's at least better than waiting for someone. We'd be killing two birds with one stone." Drake said as he pulled the two nalgenes, Josh's backpack, and a few extra tee-shirts out of the car. "Take this." he said as he threw a nalgene at Josh. Drake took out sunscreen and put on and tossed the tube to Josh.

"Drake, why the hell are you acting so mature?" Josh asked as Drake started walking in the direction of the gas station.

"Josh, I have things to do, I'm not dying in a dessert. Lock my car. I don't want anything stolen."

"And all this time I thought he was growing up." Josh sighed as he locked the car and placed the keys in his pocket.

They continued on down the dirt road, sun blazing over head, drinking water sparingly, well Drake was Josh wasn't.

"Josh save your water." Drake yelled at his brother as he noted Josh's half empty nalgene.

"I don't care what you have to say Drake just like you don't care what I have to say." Josh retorted like a five year old. Drake was pissing him off, well so was the heat. If he wanted his water, Josh would have his water.

"This is about Ava isn't. Josh I told you, I don't care what you think about what I do with girls. My sex life is my sex life." Drake stated matter of factly.

"It's more than Ava Drake. You promised that you'd teach me how to get a girl."

"Josh, it's not my problem if you're girlfriend is an Alien and doesn't want to go past first base with you. Most girls I know want to go past first."

"Most girls you know have venerial diseases."

"Do Not. Josh this is so way more than Mindy. We're going to die if we don't get to that gas station and if you don't shut up or tell me what's really wrong I'm going to kill you and eat you." Drake yelled as he turned around to face his brother.

"Kill me with what and cook me with what?" Josh asked holding out his arms indicating that there was nothing for Drake to do either with.

"Well whatever." Drake stated as he turned back and continued walking.

"Drake Parker you know what you are?" Josh yelled as his brother stopped. "You're nothing but a self-centered, womanizing, jack ass, slacker. No wonder you didn't get into College." Josh continued. "You suck Drake, you suck. You're the worst brother anyone could ever have."

"Oh yeah? Well I don't care Josh, I don't care. I never cared about you, ever. Everything I ever did for you was because I had to." Drake yelled even though it was a lie. "Josh Nichols you can go fuck yourself because no one else will do it." Drake screamed as he began to walk, he broke into a sprint knowing he'd regret it later, he wanted to be out of Josh's sight.

"Drake Parker I hope you die and go to hell." Josh shouted one last time as he watched his brother run off. Surely he hoped he didn't die. He knew neither of them had meant any of what they'd said.

Once Drake looked behind him and didn't see Josh anymore he slowed down into a walk. His shirt and hair were soaked with sweat. He took of his shirt and placed it into the backpack. Being sure to put sunscreen on his bare skin. There is nothing worse than a sunburn in a desert. He took a few sips from the nalgene. It was about a quarter full. He knew that a person could live 3 days without water, but someone as skinny as he was in a freakishly hot desert, chances weren't that high. He knew what he'd done to Josh last night was't right. But he got them a sweet hotel deal didn't he?

Drake looked at his watch, it was almost 2:00, he knew a person could travel 20 miles in a day, it wasn't that hard, plus Josh could have overshot the guess as to where the Gas Station was.

Josh walked back to the car, he'd stay there and wait for someone, hopefully Drake, to help him. He tied a white shirt to the antena of the car and he lay down and went to sleep despite the grueling heat and his own hunger.

Drake walked for to him what seemed like days. He finally reached that Gas Station Josh mentioned by 6:00. By then the desert had cooled down dramatically and Drake was pretty cold in only his track jacket.

The sign for Joe's repair and dinner didn't lie. A few big rig truckers were sitting by a bar watiressed by a young, vivacious brunette who everyone called Tay.

She couldn't have been older than 18. Drake sat down at the end furthest away from the truckers. Ever since that pool incident he stayed clear of anyone that fit that sterotype, big, bukly, lots of leather.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked as she pulled out a paper pad and pen. Drake noted that she was wearing a zero gravity shirt and light jean shorts that showcased gorgeous legs.

"Anything, I've been walking in the desert all day." He moaned as he placed his head on his arms.

"Papa, one large burger combo." She yelled back into the kitchen. "It's seems as though you found the right place. Why were you in the desert anyway?" She inquired.

"My car died. So I walked back to the gas station my brother passed." Drake explained, he picked his head up when he got to Josh. "Shit..." He breathed. He'd left Josh in the desert. Hopefully he decided to walk back to the car.

"Don't worry bout it, when you've finished eatin' I'll drive you back to the car. Name's Taylor, everyone calles me Tay." She said as she held out her hand for Drake to shake.

"Drake Parker." He said as he shook it.

"Now what can I get you to drink?" She asked as she pulled out a glass and filled it with ice.

"You got Dr. Fizz?"

"Sure do." She said as she grabbed the soda hose and filled his glass to the top. That soda and burger were the best Drake had ever eaten his his life. He was worried about Josh though, what was he doing for dinner? Hopefully he found Drake's stash of Candy under the back seat. It had Megathon bars, Futternutters, BoboBees and much more. Drake was certain that anyone could live out of his car.

Taylor cleared away Drake's plate, then hung up her apron as she yelled back to her father, "I'm taking the truck dad, some kid needs his car fixed."

"Here, let's go." She said as she grabbed a jean jacket off the hook near the door and took the keys out of her pocket.

They climbed into a pick up truck and Drake watched as she drove the thing down the road. He was never attracted to any girl who could hold her own before. He liked the kind that were girly and needed a guy to do things for them. Hell he almost broke up with a girl because she could take down a football player. But Taylor was something different, maybe it was lack of brain cells from being out in the sun all day, or maybe he was finally getting over himself and realizing that girls who were "fast" weren't the best. Maybe Josh was right when he said that the only girls Drake dated had venerial diseases.

Drake fell asleep somewhere between 8 and 9, only to be woken up again by Taylor gently shaking his arm when they reached the next gas station in Topock Arizona he was stunned to see his car sitting there.

"Seems as though your brother had the same idea." Taylor said as she turned off the ignition. She noted Drake staring at her and quickly added. "I'm just going to see if you guys are okay. These thugs here might charge you an arm and a leg for what's wrong with your car."

They got out of the truck and went in the dinner to see Josh sitting there eating.

"Josh!" Drake yelled as he ran over to his brother. "Sorry about what happened back there. I didn't mean any of it." Drake spilled as the look on Josh's face didn't change when he saw the girl Drake was with.

"You fuck her too?" Josh asked under his breath.

"No. She did this out of her own kindness." Drake said. "Josh I'm sorry what else do you want from me?" Drake pleaded. He hated it when his brother was mad.

"I want you to change Drake. I want this trip to be between us. I want us to bond okay."

"It's a deal."

"Knuckle touch?"

The two touched knuckles and made up with each other like they had so many times before. Josh doubted that Drake would actually change. He highly doubted it. He knew three days down the road that he'd be back to his old self.

"Boys, If you're looking for a place to stay I know a pretty cheap motel thats a few ways away. I can take you there and drive your car back to my place fix it for a deal if you want." Taylor offered. Chances like the one she was about to have don't come around often out in places like these. She needed a change of scenery and it came in the form of a gorgeous looking boy and his brother, who wasn't too bad looking himself.


	5. I said no

Chapter 5

I said no

Taylor parked the tow truck in the parking lot of the Topock Motel just across the border of Nevada and Arizona. Apparently the car had died somewhere between the two. Josh had been intelligent and used Drake's cell phone to call the nearest service station to have them pick him up. The motel was just as crappy as the first, only this time the sheets were at least clean.

Drake, Josh, and Taylor all shared a room. The boy's let her sleep on one bed while they slept on the other. Another night of sleeping with Josh is not what Drake wanted to do.

"Taylor, I'd just like to thank you for what you're doing. I mean fixing my car for free is so nice." Drake thanked her as she came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of pajama pants he'd lent her.

"I never said for free, I said for a deal." She explained as she took down her hair and sat on the edge of her bed.

"So how much you want for it? We don't have much. We need to make it to Massachusetts and back to San Diego on a few hundred dollars."

"Take me with you. That's all I want. You could use a mechanic. I've got a few hundred bucks in savings and I don't take up much room. I'll pay my own way." She begged. She needed to get out of Arizona, she needed to get away from the truckers that stopped in the diner every day. She needed to see the rest of the world.

Drake looked at Josh who just looked away.

"It's not my decision, if it was I'd say you could go. It's Josh's." Drake sighed as he lay down on the bed.

"Josh please. I'd do the same for you." Taylor pleaded.

"You know what fine. You can go." Josh stated as he pulled the covers over his head. "Just don't ask me for anything again."

"Thank you so much Drake, you have no idea how much this means to me." Taylor said swinging her feet over the bed. Drake got up and sat down next to her.

"You live here your whole life?" He asked as he lay down, his hands behind his head.

"Yeah. Why are you guys going to Massachusettes from San Diego?" She asked lying down next to him. He was the first attractive guy her age she'd ever been around.

"Taking Josh to Harvard. Now at least I'll have someone to keep me company on the drive home." Drake laughed.

"He's a smart kid, gettin into Harvard." Taylor sighed as she looked over at Josh.

"Yeah, he is."

"You going to college?"

"No, not my thing. Musics my thing. I'm going to be a famous rock star someday." Drake said full of himself.

"I don't know what I want to be." Taylor stated as lay down too.

"So you work in that diner a lot?" Drake asked again. Sleep that normally came so easy to him wasn't comming now.

"Yeah, I learned how to fix a car at a young age. Being an only child I had to."

"Well, I'll let you sleep."

" Night."

"Night."

Drake got up and walked back to the bed he was sharing with Josh. He took his pillow and his comforter, Josh was using his own things agian, and then Drake proceeded to sleep in the bathtub.

Taylor got up around dawn as usual. The sun filtering through the windows was always the first thing that woke her up, the next it was the truckers in the diner that did. Their cursing and fowl sexual talk made her want to puke every time she heard it, but she sucked it up put on clothes and the damn apron and served them. She hated the way they treated her like an object, harrassed and degraded. Who would have ever thought that being called 'Sweet thang' and 'Hunny' would make her so disgusted.

She neatly made the bed, something she did out of habit. After he mother died she kept doing the things her mother had instilled in her, something many children her age tended to forget.

She made sure Josh was asleep and changed back into her grease stained jeans. She walked out onto the tattered balcony of the motel. This place probably failed inspection numerous times, she wondered why it hadn't been condemed yet. Drug sellers, child molesters, and prostitues surrounded the place. This state was gross, she needed to get away, up to the east or west coast, where normal people were, or people she thought were normal.

She walked back into the stark bathroom with mildew growing between the grout lines on the floor. How Drake could bring himself to sleep in the shower was beyond her. The grubby soap scum, that'd probably built up over the decades. Hell it was probably infested with STD's. She used one of the motel toothbrushes to brush her teeth and pulled back her brown hair into a loose pony.

She looked back to the boy in the bathtub. She knew she wasn't his type, he went for girls that matched him on a vanity level. Girls she used to go to high school with, that was before she dropped out. Blonde girls who wore the short skirts and skimpy halter tops. Girls with the perfect breasts that filled their shirts just right. Girls with long legs, who practiced cheerleading for the football players. Girls who got pregnant and showcased their perfect pregnant bellies. Girls who were excited when they found out they were pregnant with the quarterbacks child.

She wasn't one of those girls, she'd never be one of those girls. She hated dresses, skirts, skimpy tops, make up, and nail polish. She was the girl who liked to catch snakes in the mud, who wrestled with the boys, who tried out for the football team, she was the girl who at 7 learned how to change a carborator. Who now could diagnose what was wrong with any car and could do an oil change in 20 seconds flat. She was not Drake Parkers type.

She left the motel room quietly going into the cab of the two truck. She pulled out the book she'd been reading. She walked back into their room and sat on the bed reading. She was smarter than all her teachers gave her credit for being. D average, accelling in only one class, English. She loved books anything written down she'd read. She used to read so much that she'd get awful headaches.

Josh woke up about 20 minutes later. He woke Drake up when he got in the bathroom not realizing there was another person there until he started going to the bathroom and Drake asked him to turn off the fountain.

They had a long day ahead of them. Drake was going to drive them to the Grand Canyon, once Taylor fixed his car.

"Drake what the fuck is up with this car?" Taylor laughed as she opened the hood.

"Is something seriously wrong?" Drake asked worried that his baby was really dead.

"Yeah, I'm surprised this car made it past Anaheim. It still has most of it's original parts."

"So it's really vintage then. The dealer wasn't lying."

"How much did you pay for this?" She asked hand on her hip.

"One thousand." Drake responded not knowing if he should have told her.

"I would have paid 500."

"Can you fix it?" Drake paced. He wanted to get out of here. The truckers were starting to worry him and plus he just wanted to get home and relax. None of this traveling junk. He wanted to go to the beach, pick up hott girls, party with them, then play some guitar. Drake Parker was out of the adventure spirit. Then again he was never really in it to begin with.

"Yeah. You're radiator coolant looks like it's never been changed. That's why you saw the smoke. I put more coolant in, changed your oil and transmission fluid. You also badly needed winsheild fluid. As for under the hood you're all set. It's what's under the car I'm worried about." She stated as she pulled the bench off the wall and rolled under the car.

"So you see anything?" Drake asked as he lay down on the floor.

"Well, it's pretty rusted through. I think you locked your rear differential. I might need to order a new part...never mind wasn't that." She said as she pushed herself out from under the car. "It was this that caused it to get all gunked up." She said as she threw a Supersized softdrink cup out from under the car. "That was wedged between your gear shaft. Shifting will be easier now. I think Josh stalled out when he tried to pull over."

"Josh told you that you didn't know how to drive a standard." Drake stated as he placed both his hands on his hips.

"Hey! Calm down the cars fine." Taylor interjected as she sensed a fight brewing. "I'm just going to grab a few things." She said as she lowered the jack.

She walked around to the back of the diner, it was always busy this time of the day, she wondered why her dad wasn't yelling for her. She walked into her tiny room, one shabby bed and a trunk to keep things in. She grabbed 7 pairs of underwear, 3 pants, a few shorts, some shirts and shoved all of what she could into a duffel. She burried a black box with gold letters on it in the depths of the bag.

Taylor climbed into the back seat of the car, she didn't care that it was crowded, she was used to crowded. Drake started the car and she looked back on the diner one last time. She was finally free.

* * *

A/N: Okay so I've been trying to update since like Tuesday but the sight wouldn't load it...anyway thank you so much for your reviews! I like where this is going, hopefully you do too. Also, I don't plan on changing Drake too much, I mean he'll have that ahha moment where he realizes he needs to grow up...I just don't know when and It'll be gradual, things are like that. I'll stop ranting now and finish chapter six.

Morgan


	6. Cactus, Cactus, Telephone pole, Cactus

Chapter 6

Cactus, cactus, telephone pole, cactus

It'd been four days since they visited the Grand Canyon, Drake bored as usual, "It's nothing but a big hole with a river running through." he muttered as Josh tried to organize a mule ride down to the murky Colorado. "No I do not want to ride an ass. You can seeing as it's the only one you ever will." Drake taunted to a Josh who was about to lose it. The boys hadn't talked much in the four days. Drake uttering insults the whole time. Josh wishing he'd stop acting like the ass hole he was, especially since they had Taylor, a girl, on the trip with them.

They were just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, nothing but cactus, telephone poles, and long forboding deserts. Josh was driving and Drake had moved to the back seat one to keep Taylor company, two to get away from Josh. This trip was turning out to be disastrous for the both of them. Both were glad to see the other alive after that fight in Arizona, but still pissed about what the other had to say, Josh respectivally more.

"Go fish." Drake said drearly as Taylor picked a card out of the pile.

"Got any Jacks?" She asked as she placed down a two of spades and a two of clubs.

"Yes.." Drake groaned as he handed her the Jack of hearts. "Why do I suck so much at this game?"

"Don't know? One more round?" Taylor asked as she picked up the cards.

"I don't think I can take another ass beating." Drake laughed as he turned and looked out the window. Nothing but the pretty damn boring Desert. He couldn't wait to get out of the midwest, there was nothing interesting out here anyway. He wanted to see San Antonio, though he knew it was way to out of the way, just like New Orleans was. But they were going to Memphis, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Providence, and Boston. All cities that he could stand seeing, all places he could score.

Though he thought about hitting on Taylor, he decided against it. If they ended up fighting after they hooked up he was going to have a long, long trip back home. Plus she wasn't really his type.

"Look we're in Santa Fe!" Josh exclaimed as he pulled over on the side of the road.

"God, Josh, not another picture time. I want to get to our Motel. I need to pee badly." Drake complained as he got out of the car. "No I'm not taking your picture." He added hastly as he found the nearest cactus.

"Sorry he's been such a sour puss." Josh appologized to Taylor as she took the camera from him.

"It's okay...a little more to the left." She said as she held the camera up to her face and Josh positioned himself perfectly to the left of the sign that said, 'Welcome to Santa Fe!'

"Are you sure?" Josh asked as she finished taking the picture.

"I'm sure. Josh can I ask you something?"

"Anything. We're sort of friends now."

"Is Drake always like that, I mean, jerkish and self absorbed?" She asked as she leaned against the navy blue car.

"No, I mean yes, I mean I don't know. He's so hard to read. One day he's your best friend, the next he hates your guts, but most of the time he's alright. I love the guy, he's my brother. I'd do anything for him and I know he'd do the same, he's done the same. Something's just bugging him." Josh sighed as he looked over at his brother walking across the street.

"Well I feel better." Drake said as he opened the car door. "On to Santa Fe!"

They all piled back into the car and drove off to find the next motel.

"400 dollars?" Josh exclaimed as the concierge demanded that they pay that for three people for a night. "But we're all sharing a single room! We paid 500 for one night in the Venician and let me tell you this is no Venician." Josh yelled as he noted the pealing pink floral wallpaper, the carpets that smelt like cat pee, the cracked ceiling, the swimming pool filled with leaves and algea. He was not paying that much for a crap hole.

"I'm sorry." The latino concierge stated. "That's how much it is." Josh groaned and walked back towards Taylor and Drake.

"He wants 400. He's not giving in." he sighed and sat back down.

"Let me try him." Taylor winked as she walked over to the counter rolling up her shirt to reveal a pretty amazing six pack.

"H o ly sn ot..." Drake breathed as he watched her. "Under all that automotive grime and guyish attitude she really is pretty hott."

"Oh no you don't." Josh whispered loudly as he smacked Drake aside the head. "You're not doing her."

"You can't tell me who I can and can't do."

"Excuse me.." Taylor began as she leaned forward on the desk. "I'm in pretty bad shape, cash wise, and I really need a cheap room about 100 bucks." She flirted madly.

"Well, I would love to give you a room for that much but the books say I have to charge 400." The latino said as he patted the binder next to him.

"Well, it's either that or I do a bank job to get the money I need. You wouldn't want a pretty girl like me in jail, would you?" She asked tenderly as she made circle patters with her finger on the desk. "I wouldn't survive in jail." The guy was giving in just a few more minutes.

"I really can't..."

"I'm sure you can, I could even do you a favor, anything you wanted..."

"Anything?" He gulped.

"It probably gets real lonely out here in the desert."

"real..."

"I could keep you company for a little while, if you just gave me and my brothers a deal."

"They're your brothers."

"Yep, we're triplets."

'Triplets?"

"Yep, so you up for that offer or not?" She cooed as she placed her hand over his and batted her eyes. She'd seen enough of the classic westerns to know how to do it right.

"Well, as long as you keep your offer."

"I intend to, meet me up there tommorrow around noon. I'll be waiting." She winked as she strutted back towards Drake and Josh swinging the key around her finger.

"Beat that. Got us the room for 100." She laughed as she tossed the key to Josh.

"Oh trust me I already did." Drake was quick to respond as they headed out and up the steps to their motel room.

"Yeah, how?"

"I got us a night at the Venician for 500."

"I guess we think alike then."

"I guess."

Josh unlocked the door only to reveal a room that was totally not worth the 100 dollars. It was like country, meets modern, meets hobo chic. The walls were a smoke, water, and sun stained multi-colored, flora wallpaper that looked like it was straight from the 1800's. The carpet on the floor was stained in various colors, the bed spread probably contained lice of many sorts, the bathroom was growing mold in all the corners, there were long gone dishes in the mini fridge and the whole room smelled of vomit and cat pee.

"This is so disgusting." Drake moaned as he placed his bag on a somewhat clean area of the carpet.

"Yeah pretty gross." Josh said as he peeled the sheets off the bed. "Oh god...this is so gross, I think I'm gonna puke." Josh stated as he ran into the bathroom. He came back out a few seconds later. "We won't be using these."

"What was so gross? Dead animal? Human Hand?" Drake questioned as he went over to look at it. "Holy snot, who does that?" Drake stated looking at what was a dried up, used, condom between the sheets. "That's just so gross."

"You glad I bring my own sheets?"

"Love you for it."

Once the bed was sort of clean with Josh's sheets on it, Drake ordered pizza and they all sat at the table in the room and ate, not having really any conversation. They were all exhausted from being in the car all day.

They all crawled into the queen size bed, the pull out couch wasn't working and Drake swore that there was probably some kind of body in it. He'd sworn up and down he'd felt something move in it when he'd sat on it earlier. Taylor was sandwiched between Drake and Josh because they'd fought for twenty minutes about how they weren't going to sleep next to each other and Drake wasn't about to sleep on the couch with the alien in it or in the bathtub where the mold would eat him alive by morning. Taylor one never to mind sharing a bed with two guys voluntered to sleep between them as long as neither tried to pull any moves on her.

Drake was the first to wake up. He woke up feeling like he was home, just seeing the light reflect off the wall, not fully realizing he was far away from beach side San Diego and he wouldn't be back there for at least another month or two. If he was going to do what he planned to do on the way home, which was drive up through upstate New Hampshire, hit the white mountains, see foliage for the first time in his life, travel through Burlington and Montpelier Vermont. Hit Albany and Buffalo, Clevland and Detroit, where Ford started, maybe even see the Ford factory. Head on back down through Chicago and Des Moines. Drive down to Omaha, then Topeka, then Denver, then up to Cheyenne. Then all the up to Montana, where there were no speed limits. Then head on down through Idaho and Oregon. Then head all the way down the coast of California hitting, Sacramento, San Francisco, where he'd cross the golden gate bridge in a rented convertable blasting here comes the sun by the Beatles, then through Ventura, Los Angeles, Anahiem, Laguna, then back home to San Diego before the summer ended.

That was going to be his trip home, that was until Taylor happened. Where was she going to step off? Was she comming home with him or was she going to take her things and leave him in New Hampshire, Colorado, Michigan, or Northern California? What if they ended up falling in love or something crazy like that on the way home?

He didn't have time to think about that. Drake Parker could feel the changes happening. Standing over the Grand Canyon and watching the sun set over the Colorodo river. Making the red canyon walls look like they were on fire, the purples, the reds, the pinks. It was all too much for him. Being cold was how he hid his feelings. By being a jack ass he didn't have to admit he was weak, that he had failed at something.

Drake had always admired Josh's intellect. How he always acceled at school, how he never had to try hard to understand things. Drake had, he struggled in school, he gave up because he never wanted to take the time needed. Drake had quickly picked up being cook, getting girls, and playing guitar. How could he admit to not understanding how a sentence was put together, or how to pronnounce big words, or even how to divide and multiply? He couldn't and just not doing the work was his way of getting by. He envied Josh for getting into college when he himself had not.

Little did he know it worked both ways.

Drake grabbed his guitar and walked out onto the balcony. There were no other cars in the motel lot. It meant that it was just them there. He took the acoustic out of it's case sat down on the top stair and started playing. The chords had no pattern, the song no name. He played as the sun began to rise, casting an orange, pink hue over everything making it seem ethereal. It was like a dawning of a new Drake, at least on the inside. He'd never let the changes show quickly, a tiger never changes his stripes.

Taylor walked out when she heard the music. She knew Drake played, she'd seen the guitar and heard him bragging about being on TRL. She figured he was some mediocre player, one that got by on his poster boy looks. But she was shocked to find that he was really good.

She sat down next to him.

"Don't stop." She said softly as he stopped strumming.

"I can't keep playing when I really want to talk." He said softly.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked quietly.

"Everything."

* * *

A/N: Thanks again, midnightriot I would appreciate it so much if you helped with a title, normally I'm wicked skilled at thinking of them even before I start a story but with this one nothings comming, I feel though once I get further into it I'll think of something but it'd be wonderful if you could help. I'm also taking a little shift here towards the "changing" Drake though it'll be subtle.

Morgan


	7. Blue Suede Shoes and The Pouring Rain

Chapter Seven

Blue Suede Shoes and The Pouring Rain

"What's wrong?" Taylor asked gently. This who situation was rather awkward for her, she knew it must be the same for him.

"Never mind." Drake said as he stood up. "We should get ready now; we've got a long trip ahead of us. We're trying to hit Texas today."

(Two days later)

After much pleading from Josh and Taylor, they'd finally made it to Memphis. Drake, who'd wanted to drive the 15 hours straight, was shot down by Josh and Taylor who wanted to divide it up between two days. They'd found a great deal on a hotel, only $40 a night.

"Well I'm out to look around Memphis, maybe visit the King's grave." Drake said as he put a twenty in his pocket and walked out of the hotel.

"I don't understand that boy sometimes." Josh sighed as he sat down on the bed. They'd spent the past two days not talking to each other, except for the occasional, _Josh I need this_ or _Drake would you stop that._ Taylor was spent; dealing with both of them together was extremely difficult. They fought like they were an old married couple. Even in the presence of a girl they wouldn't stop going at each others throats. She assumed that if she weren't here with them right now, one of them would probably be dead. And she equally assumed that the one dead would be Josh.

"Don't worry about it. Let him be." Taylor stated as she flipped on the TV, Oprah was on. Taylor left it on because she knew that Josh would want to watch it. She pulled out her book and began to read.

"Taylor..." Josh began after twenty minutes of silence.

"Yeah?" She questioned putting down the book.

"You want to go do something?" Josh suggested. Drake had his hotel keycard with him, and Josh knew full well that he'd be out all night with some random girl.

"Sure, I guess." Taylor said as she got up off the bed, slipped on her worn blue flip-flops, and grabbed her jacket off the bed.

They walked out of the room and headed out into downtown Memphis. Taylor wanted to die. It was probably the dumbest mistake she'd ever made traveling with two boys, two boys who had their own attributes. The smart, shy, sensitive guy, who was cute in his own way, the one you knew would take care of you, but underneath it all had this wild side to him. The sexy, kind of mysterious, guitar playing guy, who with one look could make you lose your breath. Who could say all the right things at the right time, just to get you in bed with him, but underneath it all had this sweet, caring side to him, who would cry about something as ridiculous as seeing Paul McCartney in concert. She hated to admit it to herself but she was falling for both of them.

* * *

Drake walked down by Elvis' grave. Here he was in Memphis, only not wearing blue suede shoes nor was it raining, but still he was in Memphis and he didn't care. He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and shrugged his shoulders. It was getting chilly, the further east they went the colder it got. He knew that by the time he hit New Hampshire there'd be snow in the Mountains, and that a Track Jacket wouldn't be warm enough, but he didn't care. Whatever was going to happen would happen. If he didn't speak another word to Josh on this whole trip he didn't care.

He saw her from maybe 10 feet back, she was cute, brown hair, blue eyes, tall, thin, endowed elsewhere. She was standing outside the entrance to the Burger King that was across the street.

_Time to turn on the Drake Parker charm._ He told himself as he crossed the street.

She saw him cross the street. Here just because she was visiting her father for a week. He didn't care that she was here, he just cared about the drugs and the sex he was getting from his floozy girlfriend, Veronica.

"Hey." he said as he walked up to her. She normally didn't like guys who were that forward but, he didn't faze her. He looked familiar to her.

"Hey." She responded back. They both looked each other over.

_'Brown hair, blue eyes, pretty face, low cut shirt, tight jeans, painted toenails. Nice catch._

_'Brown hair, falls over his brown eyes, wow, nice eyes. Tight jeans, rocker attitude, boots, Beatles shirt. Not bad._

"Drake Parker, you are?" He asked forward once again.

"Roma." She wasn't up for the whole last name thing.

_Drake Parker sounds really familiar. Don't know where I've heard it before._

_Roma, interesting name. Never heard it before._

"You live here or just visiting." He asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Both." she responded with yet another one word answer.

"I'm visiting on my way to Massachusetts."

"Why Massachusetts?"

"My brother's going to Harvard so I'm driving him."

"Oh."

The sky which had been slowly darkening and graying suddenly opened up and a heavy rain began to fall. So now Drake was in Memphis in the pouring rain, all he needed now was his blue suede shoes. He made a mental note to buy a pair.

"You want to get out of the rain?" He half asked half suggested as he zipped up his sweat shirt more.

"Sounds like a plan. The place I'm staying at isn't far from here." She offered as she zipped up her leather jacket.

"How about we eat first then check out your place, it might stop raining this hard."

* * *

Josh and Taylor were checking out all the little shops in downtown Memphis when it started to rain.

"Here let's eat here." Josh said as he held his arm over Taylor's head to keep her dry. He only did it as a nice gesture not as something romantic.

"Okay and Josh you don't have to do that." Taylor said as she put his arm down.

They walked into the Hard Rock Memphis, only because it was the first restaurant they saw.

"Drake would be pretty angry if he found out we went here." Josh stated as they waited in line. "He loves all the Hard Rock Cafe's. I think he has a goal to visit all of them."

"He's got a lot of traveling to do, there's a hard rock in Kuwait."

* * *

They sat at a booth in one of the many fast food joints that crowded the city. According to Drake nothing beat In and Out burger, they had the best burgers and fries, anywhere. Call him a California native.

"You look so familiar to me." Roma said as she took a sip of her Coca Cola, once again, not half as good as Moca Cola.

"You watch MTV?" Drake asked, knowing full well where she probably knew him from.

"I live in New York City, its hard not too."

"I was on TRL last summer." Drake gloated. He liked the fact that he could brag about being on MTV when he hadn't even made it big yet, when his band was nothing more than a manger-less, small town band, that was much beloved in San Diego. He almost always forgot that it was Josh who had gotten him that spot, but it was also Josh who also got them taken by the bad guys, but then it was because Josh took those guy's iBot, that he was able to drive Tony Hawks viper.

"Oh yeah, I think I saw that. You were pretty good." She stated as she crumpled up her burger wrapper.

"Pretty good?" Drake questioned. He was not pretty good, he was extremely good.

"I'm not into rock-pop that much."

"It was not rock-pop, it was rock."

"Okay, so singing about a "Hollywood Girl" is rock now, whoops sorry, I always thought rock was singing about a Magic bus, or Pinball Wizard, maybe even the Dark Side of the Moon." She said as Drake sat back in the booth more.

"Well, okay but pop stars sing about love and candy, not the dark side of things. That song is about a girl who's lost because she's being told what to be. Plus you haven't heard all my songs yet." Drake said defending himself. The Beatles were rock and they were more his style. "If songs like Imagine, I Want to Hold your hand, Here Comes the Sun, and Help! Are rock then I'm rock."

"You've got a point. Sorry I mentioned pop."

"Thank you." Drake said as he finished the rest of his Sprite, nothing like Dr. Fizz. "How about we get out of here, the rain looks like it's stopped a bit."

"My place isn't far like I said."

The two threw away their trash and walked out of the Burger King. It was still raining, only not as hard as it had been before. They walked a few blocks until they came to the apartment building that Roma was staying in.

It wasn't too shabby, kind of rock and roll. There were hard wood floors, a pretty sweet den area with leather couches, a nice kitchen.

"I know it's not much but this is my Dad's place." She said as she threw her wet coat down on the back of a chair. "I'll take your coat." She said as Drake handed her his wet jacket. She noted how his wet shirt clung to his frame, highlighting the fact that he had a pretty nice body.

"Here, let's just hang out in my room, my dad might come home, not like he'd care, but I don't want his questions." Roma added as she walked towards a room in the back.

It looked like her room had withstood the test of time, pink walls, fluffy white and pink bed spread. Pictures of boy bands like Backstreet Boys and NSYNC were framed on her walls. He could tell she hadn't been here in years.

"I know it's kind of pre-teen, but I haven't been here in years." She said taking the words right out his mind.

"Doesn't matter to me." Drake said as he sat down on the bed, it was just as comfy as it looked and after spending too many nights on old, hard, uncomfortable motel beds this was like a dream.

Drake was soaked from walking in the rain and felt guilty about sitting on her bed, but he wouldn't see Roma again so he didn't care too much. He ran his hand through his wet hair, trying to dry it a bit. He took off his boots, they weren't the best choice of footwear for walking around Memphis and his feet were starting to hurt.

Roma watched as he did all this. He could have been a model for Abercrombie and Fitch if he wanted. He had the looks, but she knew he wasn't that kind of guy. He had the jock attitude, maybe some jock morals, but no way was he a jock. He was a rock star, or at least he wanted to be a rock star.

She sat next to him, both knowing what was going to happen that night. He was glad that he always kept supplies in his wallet, just incase nights like tonight came up. After about a half hour of mindless conversation, Drake kissed her. One thing led to another, like it had for Drake so many times before, and before he could register what was going on, she was in her underwear, taking off his pants.

At least half an hour had passed since he finished and she fell asleep. He looked around the room, their clothes strewn about the place. It was almost like he was back home in a cheerleaders bed, trying to figure a way to get back to his house before his parents knew he was breaking curfew again, only this time he had no curfew, except to be back at the hotel in the morning so Josh wouldn't leave him.

He had, had no idea that Roma was a virgin, the way she came on to him, the way she knew exactly what he wanted. He hadn't known until she'd told him at the very last second. It kind of sucked for her that he was going to leave her like this, that her first time meant nothing to the other person. He tried to get the careless -I Love You- he let slip out of his mind, but that moment kept playing over and over like a broken record.

He slipped out of bed, noting that the alarm clock read 12:23, he'd spent most of the night with her, Josh was probably wondering where he was.

He pulled on his clothes which were still damp and were cold against his body after his body had adjusted to the warmth of Roma. He carefully opened the door; they'd heard her father come in around eleven, when they were in the middle of their love fest. He slowly crept to the front door, grabbing his coat off the chair, only to grab it too quickly and drop a glass on the floor. He hesitated between running and picking it up, that split second he had to run was gone, Roma was wrapped in her blanket in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, I'll pick it up." He said in a hushed whisper.

"Don't bother, leave like you were going to." She stated as he turned to go towards the door. A new wave of guilt flashing over him, guilt that he'd never experienced before, except for that one time with Sammy, that guilt caused him to go back to Remedial English.

"It's not you, honestly." Drake said trying not to make it sound like the worst breaking up line. But no matter how it came out, to any girl, it would always sound like that.

"Don't say that. I never expected you to stay with me. I expected you to wait until morning to leave."

"I'm not like that, I can't. Just trust me."

"Fine, but just promise you won't do what you just did to me, to some other girl." She sighed as she walked back into her room. "It was nice getting to meet you Drake Parker, at least I can say I fucked a rock star right?" She added as she turned around to see his face.

"Yeah, I guess so. You want proof or something?" Drake asked as he felt his heart sink a little. It was almost like the part in _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ when the Grinches heart grows.

"No, not really." she stated. "I'm going back to bed. Maybe I'll see you sometime." She closed the door and lay back down in her bed.

Drake stood there, picked up the shards of glass and wrote her a note.

_Roma,_

_Sorry, here's the proof that you fucked a rock star._

_Drake Parker._

He left the note in her jacket pocket and walked out the front door.

* * *

Josh and Taylor arrived back at their hotel around 10:30, still no Drake.

"He must have found a girl." Josh sighed as he took off his damp jacket and sat on the bed.

"Don't worry; I'm sure he's okay. You seem to forget he's 18, he needs his space." Taylor said as she sat down next to Josh and placed her hand on his knee.

"He's 19."

"All the more reason to let him be, he'll come around in time."

It was true, Drake was 19, he was an adult, he could make his own decisions, and Josh wasn't his parent, though sometimes he wished he was.

"Sometimes he doesn't act like he's 19." Josh stated coldly. Taylor hated being the middle man in a fight that she knew went much deeper than _he's off having sex with a girl and not with me against he's always on my case, I wish he'd stop_. She felt like she was the mother of two fighting boys, only she wasn't. She barely knew them and here she was cross country with these two guys, finding more and more about them.

"Don't worry the trip's almost over Josh. You'll be at Harvard, close to Mindy. The next longest portion is from here to Virginia Beach, that's two more days. Then Josh it's only going to take nine more hours from Virginia Beach to Cambridge." Taylor said trying to comfort Josh. She knew he wanted Mindy. And maybe after spending the summer away from Josh she'd give him some quality time. He'd told her everything on the trip to Santa Fe, after Drake had fallen asleep in the back seat.

"That's just it. I don't want this trip to be over. Drake and I were supposed to bond. I mean as of now we're going to get there early. Mindy's already up there, hanging out with relatives and I know I'm going to have to be there with her. It's another week until school starts. Drake has no idea how much I'm going to miss him, he doesn't. I mean we shared the same room for four years and we still don't know much about each other. I just want him to know that I am sorry for taking over his room and as he's said it, ruining his high school years." Josh cried as he buried his head in his hands. Taylor put her arm around his shoulder.

"You didn't ruin his life. If you had you two wouldn't have even thought about this trip. You mean so much more to Drake than you think you do Josh."

"You really think so?"

"I do. You two just need to talk. If I weren't here I know you two would have bonded more. It's my fault for asking when he was pissed at you. Let's get off this subject Josh." Taylor said gently as she patted his hands.

The next thing that happened wasn't like Josh at all. In any normal circumstance where he wasn't so vulnerable, wasn't as depressed as he was, wasn't as angry at Drake, he wouldn't have done what he did. Josh never reacted on instinct, never really did what felt right, he always did what he knew was right to do.

That's why when he found himself lip to lip with Taylor; he didn't do anything but just kiss her. He kissed her like he'd always wanted to kiss Mindy; he kissed her the way Drake kissed girls. He wasn't expecting to find her tongue in his mouth, he wasn't expecting a kiss back. But when things started getting heavy was when he realized what he was doing, and Josh Nichols didn't care for more than one second that he was cheating on Mindy Crenshaw. The thought entered his mind, but it was gone just as fast as it came when Taylor said, "Here, put your hands like this."

* * *

Drake walked into the empty lobby of the Holiday Inn they were staying at. He never much liked hotels at night. It was creepy the way the old concierge would look at you quizzically as you walked up to the elevator. It always gave him the creeps.

Drake waked into the elevator and pressed the 5 button. They were pretty high up, nice view of the city though. Drake knew that the next 14 hours were going to have to be good. He knew he had to apologize to Josh and Taylor for making their trips pretty awful. He knew he couldn't take back the shitty thing's he'd said and done. He hated to admit the fact that Josh was leaving his life, Josh, the kid who'd helped him pass Algebra II for the second time, the kid who disobeyed parental orders to ride the Demonator with him, the kid who kept him up all night because he snored like a hobo with a sinus infection.

Drake slid his keycard through the slot in the door. It clicked open and he opened the door to find that the lights were off; he assumed that Josh and Taylor were asleep, or at least he thought that they were.

"Oh my fucking god…" Drake gasped as he saw Josh and Taylor in the middle of a make out session, nothing he'd ever seen Josh do before, and he knew this was a step up for him. Josh Nichols had actually gotten a girl to take her shirt off for him. "I think I might just be sick…"

"Drake, I…I…uh…I can explain." Josh stuttered as he tried to hide the fact that he was enjoying this.

"I can too Drake…" Taylor said as she reached for her shirt.

Drake would have felt worse if he hadn't just banged someone himself, but he hadn't wanted to admit that he kind of liked Taylor, until he and she were alone and heading back to California. The fact that she wanted Josh, who had a girlfriend that he loved who loved him back, made him want to puke.

"I don't want an explanation. I don't know what I want." Drake stated, still in shock, as he crawled into the empty bed. "You two can get back to whatever it was you were doing."

That's when it hit Josh, he'd just cheated on Mindy, and he'd just betrayed the one girl who had ever loved him for who he was, sweating problems and all.

"Oh my god…" Josh breathed. "Oh my god…"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone along with it Josh." Taylor said as she understood what he'd just realized.

"I just cheated on Mindy. I'm the worst boyfriend ever."

"You are not the worst boyfriend. You were just confused Josh. It happens. It was both our faults."

"Would you two shut up?" Drake asked as he rolled over in bed.

"Josh, let's just get some sleep, we can talk about it in the morning." Taylor said as she pulled the covers over herself.

"I'll sleep on the floor tonight." Josh stated as he grabbed the extra sheets out of the closet.

Josh found that sleep was hard to come by. He tried all the relaxation techniques that his therapist had taught him, but nothing seemed to work. He eventually fell into a fitful sleep where he was plagued by dreams of Mindy who suddenly transformed into Taylor who wanted him to do more than what he wanted to do, but when he said no she turned back into Mindy.

Josh Nichols had pulled Drake Parker. He'd cheated on a girl; he'd done something with a girl just for his own needs. He'd used someone. Little did he know that sleep wasn't coming either for the boy in the bed across the room. That Drake Parker was finally learning what true guilt felt like, and he could thank a girl named Roma for that.

* * *

Okay, so kind of bizzare I know, Josh and Taylor, but you'll see why that had to happen. There's not much left of Drake and Josh time, considering they're not far from where they want to be. I odn't want to give away to much info, so here there you go that was Chapter seven.

-Morgan


	8. Nine More Hours

Chapter Eight

Nine More Hours

For once in his life Drake was the first to wake up. Trying carefully not to wake anyone else up he went into the bathroom and took a shower.

He didn't bother to lock the door, he knew no one would want to come in anyway. Drake started the shower and took off his clothes. He wanted to wash the smell of sex off of him, that smell of sweat and perfume. For some reason it sickend him this morning.

He hopped into the steaming shower and felt the water cascade down his back, he just wanted to be home. He washed his hair with the junky hotel shampoo and conditioner. Drake sighed, what happened last night wasn't what he had planed to have happen. He wanted to just bang her and leave like he normally did. The fact that she was a virgin had complicated things, mostly for him. It wasn't his fault that she hadn't said anything until it was too late, it wasn't his fault that she invited him over to her place. Guilt was a new vocab word for Drake, it was a new emotion. Sure he'd felt guilty before but it normally went away within minutes, it'd never felt like this before.

He turned of the water and reached out for his towel. He dried off his arms and face, then wrapped the towel around his waste and walked out into the steamy bathroom. Surprised to find Taylor standing there brushing her teeth.

He refused to acknowledge her presence. How could he pretend to be nice to the girl he had a miniscule crush on, the girl who'd helped his brother cheat on the only girl that had ever loved him. He just couldn't, it wasn't right.

"Drake, I'm sorry about what happened last night. I think it's best you leave me here. I'll find a way home or something." Taylor said as she spit out her toothpaste.

"It's not me you should appologize to, it's Josh." Drake said as he began to shave, the one thing he hadn't done in awhile. He was starting to develop a moustache much like the one Josh used to sport.

"I know, I mean, well. You didn't seem to happy to see that."

"Taylor, I don't care if you make out with anyone. Doesn't bother me at all. It's just that it was Josh, that kid has so much going for him. I don't want him to throw it all away. He doesn't understand how good he has it in a loving relationship." Drake stated as he looked Taylor in the eyes, something he'd only do if he were serious.

"Alright, I still think it's best that I..."

"NO, I mean, Taylor just finish it with me and if you want to go home I'll take you there myself. You're kind of part of me and Josh now. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, I know Josh feels the same.

"Drake...I..I...thank you." She said as she left the bathroom.

"I know, it's a shocker when I care." He laughed as he continued his grooming routines.

"Hey..." Josh mumbled as he walked into the bathroom. Drake was now brushing his teeth and making sure his hair was perfect.

"Hey, sorry about barging in like that last night." Drake appologized as he put on his deodorant.

"No problem. If you hadn't done that I don't know what I would have done." Josh sighed as he washed his face. "I feel so goddamn guilty. Is this how it's supposed to feel?"

"Your not supposed to cheat on anyone. It's supposed to be casual. Guilt is what happens when you cheat." Drake said as he pulled on his boxer briefs. "If it makes you feel better, I feel the same way."

"Why's that? The infamous Drake Parker is feeling guilty? Must have been something big."

"No, I just realized last night that sex isn't everything. I mean well it is...but it's supposed to mean something."

"You're just realizing this now?"

"Took awhile didn't it?" Drake joked as he left the bathroom. "Get a move on it, we want to hit Virginia Beach today, 14 beautiful hours of driving."

"Great." Josh rolled his eyes.

Josh looked himself over in the mirror, his reflection had changed, well at least to him it had. It was as though his blue eyes now showed the pain he was feeling. How could he tell Mindy what he did to her? How could he tell Mindy that it was practically because of her morals that he cheated on her? Josh Nichols wasn't like that, Drake Parker was like that. Drake cheated on girls, Drake was the one that'd do anything for himself, not Josh. Maybe it was time that Josh moved on, that Josh got to see what life was like outside of San Diego, outside of Belleview High. Away from Mindy Crenshaw, but none of it seemed right.

He sighed. It wasn't like him to think like this. It wasn't right.

Josh was driving half of the trip, Drake the other half. They just wanted to get over with now. None of them cared too much about Virginia, it was DC and New York they cared about. Plus they were going to Hershey Pennsylvania. Drake was excited to see the Hershey factory and ride on the Mustang at Hershey Park. It was only the second greatest rollercoaster in the world, nothing could compare to the Demonator.

Drake sat in the back with Taylor. She was sleeping and he was eating a bag of Apple Chips. Apple Chips, something to bizzare about deep fried apples, but they were still delicious.

Drake fell asleep soon after. Only to wake up again at a rest stop in Virginia Beach.

"Josh..." he said softly as he nudged his brothers arm.

"Hummmm...? What?" Josh asked sleepily.

"Why'd you drive the whole way?"

"I didn't feel like waking you up."

"Why not?"

"I just didn't okay."

"I think we should talk..." Drake began as he opened the car door. "Follow me." Drake said as he stuck his head in the door and threw Josh his jacket.

The two walked to the sea wall that separated them from the ocean below.

"Drake, what's up?" Josh asked as they sat down on the wall.

"Josh, I think we both owe each other appologies. I think I owe you one more." Drake said as he pulled his jacket around him tighter.

"I think your right."

"I've done a lot of thinking lately and I think I've grown up a little. Last night really did it. I was off again with another girl, having sex as usual when I'm about to finish she tells me she's a virgin. Normally I wouldn't have a problem but then I realized that to me she was just another random girl, but to her I was her first time. She'd never see me again. It just kind of didn't feel right after that. Then to see you about to throw all that away with Taylor really made it all seem more clear." Drake explained softly with a tone that told Josh he'd really grown up.

"I dont know what I was doing last night. It just kind of happened, it seemed like the right thing to do."

"Don't be like me Josh, don't screw up everything you have. I wish I had, had the sense to do better in school, then maybe I'd be going off to college with you. Josh, Mindy loves you, she loves you a hell of a lot. I don't know why she does but she does. Don't question why, just go with it. Josh, you are so goddamn lucky to be where you are, you have no idea how much I envy you." Drake swallowed as he tried to hold back the tears that were pleading to escape.

"You're not the only one who's envious..." Josh started beginning to tear up himself. "Drake all throughout high school I saw you as the one with all the glory. You were the one that had the band, the girls, the coolness. I was the one who just stood in the shadows of Drake Parker, the coolest kid in school. Drake you were the one who got to play on TRL, I was the one who had to stand by and watch as you got what you wanted. I've never gotten what I've wanted. Everyone respected you, no one respected me." Josh cried as the tears fell down his face in the golden light of a single street lamp.

"I respected you." Drake stated. "You were the one who made me realize that I should tell Mom and Dad about the Dune Buggy, you were the one who saved my ass from failing Algebra II for the second time, you were the one who got me that gig with TRL, you were the one who taught me that gambling was bad, you were the one who helped me win the Talent Show three years in a row, you saved me from being expelled when your girlfriend tried to frame me, you even got me out of Remdial English every day and single handedly kept me from making out with Bardleby sisters, you were the one that kept me company Josh. We've had some pretty amazing times together, from leaving Papa Nichols with Carl and Eric to go ride the Demonator, we out smarted and captured two of the most wanted men, we kept a sheep in our room for almost a week, we threw that house party when Mom and Dad were away..." Drake cried too.

"Drake, we've both done a lot over the past for years."

"You can say that again."

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for taking your room from you."

"Don't be, I'm sorry I didn't get to know you sooner."

"You know what you are Drake Parker?"

"And what's that?"

"You're number one." Josh said as he stood up and walked over to Drake. "Hug me brother?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Drake laughed as he hugged Josh.

It was odd how far they'd come, brick by brick, there walls had come down. Brick by brick they'd learn to appreciate the other.

"Let's have a few more good times before this trip comes to an end." Josh said as the both walked back to the car.

"Can do brother." Drake replied as he crawled into the front seat next to his brother.

"There's only one person left to appologize too." Josh said as he closed his eyes.

"And that can wait till morning."

Drake closed his eyes soon after he heard Josh's trade mark snoring. Maybe he'd mumble in his sleep for old times sake. It was only nine more hours on the road until Josh had to go to Harvard. Nine more hours they'd have left, that was excluding the time they took to see sights. Nine hours didn't seem like a long time, and it really wasn't.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I know, kind of short...but still it was kind of dramatic...wasn't it? Don't worry, it'll get better, I swear, I know where I want this to go, it's just a matter of writing. I have the end chapter in mind and a _bigish_chapter that should be interesting wink, wink not to give anything away yet...

Peace out,

Morgan


	9. Remember that time

Chapter Nine

Remember that time...

Drake awoke to the pinking, early, dawn that was rising over the ocean. That little one on one he and Josh had last night really put him in an okay mood for once. He knew that there'd have to be no more explaining between them, they'd always had that sort of unspoken bond. Drake never tried to question it, it was sort of like he and Josh belonged together in a weird way. They were the ying to the others yang, or something like that.

Drake gently woke Josh up and traded places with him. It was good to be behind the wheel of his _baby_ again. He remembered saving up the money needed to buy the car and the pride he felt driving the car all his friends envied. His car was in no way a soccer mom van, it was almost as cool as the blue Mustang his father drove, but in more ways than not, cooler.

His watch read 7:45, he knew it was early, early for him, but he wanted to spent some quality time with Josh in DC, even if it meant he had to go on those stupid tours of the White House and the Pentagon, maybe he'd get to make out with the Presidents daughter or something. As long as Josh didn't try another magic trick with a fork, he'd be okay.

Drake Parker was finally driving down Interstate 95; this highway could take him from Maine to Florida in all of two days. 85 miles later and he'd be in DC, closer to where he wanted to go, closer to home, closer to his band, and closer to everything he knew and loved.

By 9:00 he had reached the hotel they were staying at on Madison Avenue.

"Guys, we're here." Drake said as he turned off the ignition. Taylor and Josh both stretched and got out of the car.

"I vote we go eat." Josh said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Count me in." Taylor added as she stretched her arms.

"I'm just glad to be off that highway." Drake yawned as he put the keys in his jacket pocket. "Where exactly do you want to eat?" He asked surveying the metropolis for a familiar, yet cheap place to eat. They were running a little low on cash.

"There's an IHOP down a little way." Taylor pointed out.

Many, pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, toast, and milkshakes later all three sat in the booth at IHOP and discussed where they should tour for the day.

"All I want to see is the Pentagon and the White House." Josh stated as he circled the two places on the map they'd gotten at the information center, in red crayon. Drake had insisted on coloring the little paper place mats they give five year olds.

"I don't care." Drake said as he worked on his third plate of pancakes. "I still say they should merge the pancake and the waffle into a waffle cake." He stated as he triumphantly finished his third plate. "That's it I'm full for once."

"A waffle is a pancake, with more flour." Taylor said as she looked at Drake.

"Don't care."

"I want to see the Washington Memorial." Taylor added as she circled it. "I want to see if I get in trouble for going in the reflecting pool." She laughed.

"If you get arrested, it's not my fault." Josh said.

… **A few hours later**

"Alright if you would like to tour the Pentagon please remove everything from your pockets and place it in this cubby. The only thing we'll allow you to keep is your money. We'll need to take cell phones, chap stick, anything that could be a potential hazard." The brunette tour guide stated. "We ask that you please leave all bags outside." She added.

"I'm totally not going to put my poster of the Constitution down where some 10 year old will steal it." Josh stated as he clutched his bag closer to him. "I'll just hide the bag in my pocket." He said victoriously as he folded the bag and stuck it in his back pocket.

"Josh, what about the poster?" Drake pointed out. "You obviously can't hide it. Just put in down, I don't' think anyone will want to steal a copy of the Constitution."

"I'd rather not risk it." Josh said. "I'll just hide it up my shirt." Josh whispered as he shoved the rolled up poster into the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Josh, you look ridiculous." Drake stated as he rolled his eyes. "There is no way I'm getting arrested because you refused to listen to the security guards at the Pentagon.

"Please, form a single file line for a quick frisk." The tour guide said. It was obvious that she hated this job.

"Josh…you'll get us kicked out." Drake repeated.

"Don't worry I've got this under control."

"YOU!" The guard yelled towards Josh.

"Me?" Josh whimpered as his face went stark white.

"YES YOU. YOU HAVE EARS? We asked that you leave all items here."

"Can't I just take my bag with me?" Josh asked.

"Are you trying to be smart? We cannot allow into the Pentagon if you have your bag with you."

"It's not like I can blow anything up with a plastic bag. What am I going to do strangle Government Officials?" Josh said getting defensive.

"Josh stop." Drake moaned as he placed his head in his hand. "You're going to get us into trouble.

"IS THAT A THREAT?" The guard yelled.

"No…"

"Security we've got a potential terrorist here. Code red, I repeat code red." The guard said quickly into his radio.

"We have teams on the way. I'm ready to evacuate the Pentagon." A voice replied back.

"Just great Josh, look what you did." Drake sighed as he looked away from his panic stricken brother.

Alarms went off and red lights flashed as swat teams entered the building as everyone else left.

"Are you two with him?" The guard asked Drake and Taylor, who just looked at each other and nodded. "Then we'll have to search you guys too."

…**45 minutes later**

"I hope you guys have learned a valuable lesson today. And that is to always obey orders, especially at the Pentagon."

"Yes, yes I did learn a valuable lesson." Josh stated. "I learned that not only are airport strip searches very thorough, but Government ones are even more so."

They walked out the door, Josh without his bag and Constitution poster.

"Great Josh, you got us _another_ strip search and you got us permanently thrown out of the Pentagon." Drake stated as he kept walking away from his brother.

"I said I was sorry." Josh added. "Why can't you guys just forgive me?"

"Because it was simple, you put down the bag and you're okay. You refused to put down the bag. There's no room for –sorry- here." Drake said. "Just don't talk for the rest of Washington okay?"

"You just like making me feel bad don't you?" Josh shouted at his brother.

"Yeah, I like making you feel bad when you do stupid things Josh." Drake retorted back.

"You know what; I take back what I said last night. You're not number one."

"I don't care Josh. I don't care. Just shut up okay? I don't want to fight." Drake said as he walked faster.

"Don't you walk away from me Drake Parker, you started this fight, I intend on finishing it."

"You always have to get the last word in don't you? You started this fight Josh; you didn't listen to what they told you to do at the Pentagon."

"You always run away from your problems Drake."

"What?" Drake yelled as he stopped in his tracks. "You name one time I've run away from my problems."

Josh stood there and thought. He'd never really thought of an example to use. Drake hadn't really ever run away from his problems much; he just stopped doing anything and let people do his work for him.

"I meant, you just let people do your work for you. You never do anything yourself."

Drake froze, Josh had a point. His whole life he expected people to do things for him. He never really took initiative, until someone made him. The only reason Josh had to help pass Algebra II was because he was threatened by his parents that if he didn't pass it for the second time, he would get his driving privileges taken away until he had an A average in that class.

"Well I'm doing this for myself." Drake said as he broke out into a run. Sure in a sense he was running away from this problem, but he didn't want to start anything else with Josh. He didn't even know why Josh was overreacting to him being angry about getting thrown out of the Pentagon; he wasn't even sure why he was pissed about being thrown out of the Pentagon.

"Drake wait!" Taylor yelled as she watched Josh run after him. She herself ran too.

Drake reached the reflecting pool of the Washington Memorial, a long run he knew but he wasn't going to stop until he knew he'd outrun Josh, and the Washington Memorial was that place.

"Drake…" Josh stated as he caught up and grabbed Drake's shoulder.

"Don't touch me." He yelled as he pushed Josh's arm off of him.

"You know what…fine be that way." Josh said as he pushed Drake for pushing him.

"I said don't touch me."

"I'll touch you all I want."

"That just sounds wrong."

"Shut up."

"You shut up Josh."

"You know what." Josh said as he pushed Drake into the reflecting pool.

"That tears it Josh." Drake said as he pulled him in with him. The pool was only knee deep but both boys began to push each other down, reminiscent of the times the fought in the chocolate pool after they'd caved on their bet and the time in Helens hot tub.

"BOYS!" Taylor yelled hoping that they'd stop. They were beginning to draw a crowd of spectators watching them fight. It was rare that two teenage boys fought in the reflecting pool outside the Washington Monument. A few people were clicking pictures. A group of school kids watched in awe. Egging both of them on with chants like, _"HOLD HIM DO WN!" "YEAH! Spit in his face."_

"BOYS!" Taylor shouted as she jumped in the pool. "YOU TWO ARE SO IMMATURE!" she screamed as she pushed them apart, both staring at her, amazed that she had the power to make them stop. Drake and Josh were both soaked and panting. " THIS WHOLE TRIP YOU'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT AT EACH OTHERS THROATS! GOD…One minute you're best friends, the next your about to kill each other. Can we just get back in the car and drive the next six hours in peace?" She yelled at first but then quieted down towards the end. She was wet from pulling them apart and her eyes had this flare in them that said that she meant business.

Drake looked at her then to Josh, then back at Taylor. He had a mix of fear and resentment in his eyes.

"I should have known." Was all Drake managed to spit out as he pulled himself out of the pool. "I should have known."

He walked away leaving Taylor and Josh standing there confused.

**Back in the Hotel Room…**

"Drake, he said he was sorry." Taylor yelled through the bathroom door. Drake had gotten back to the hotel before Taylor and Josh had and locked himself in the bathroom. "Drake, other people have to use the bathroom too." She repeated as she slid down the wall and sat next to the door.

"He knows this is so much more than not listening at the Pentagon."

"You know it too Drake. Just make up already okay."

"No."

She sighed and got back up. Josh had decided to sit in the car and wait for Taylor to coerce Drake out of the bathroom.

"Drake, Josh isn't in the room. Just let me in." She said softly. She heard the door unlock and she pushed it open to find Drake sitting on the floor, still in the wet clothes. He looked like a helpless puppy like that. She hated being their mediator, she hated how they fought the way they did. Though she knew better than to get mad at them, she knew they were only fighting like this because they were both scared to lose each other. She fought with her mother like that before she'd died, just so she could prove she still cared.

"Drake…" She began but quieted when he put his hand up.

"Sorry, I'm so goddamn sorry that you had to mediate every fight between us. Sorry that this trip sucked." He acknowledged as she bowed her head.

"It hasn't sucked at all. I know you two are scared to lose each other. I've been through it. I fought with my mother all the time before she died. It was the only way I could hold onto her. If she fought with me it was like normal, it was like she wasn't sick." She explained as tears formed in her eyes. She hadn't talked about her mother in years.

"Sorry. I know what it's like to lose a parent. You're right tough, I don't want to lose Josh either. This trip isn't long enough. We're there in like three more days."

"Then enjoy them. You'll have better memories if you just have fun. Tomorrow we're going to Hershey Park, okay. It'll be like old times for you. I recall you being excited to ride the Mustang."

"Yeah…I guess."

"Here, put on dry clothes." She whispered softly as she handed Drake a pile of dry clothes as she got up to leave. Drake placed the clothes on the floor and grabbed her arm.

"Taylor…" He began as he stood up.

"Yeah?" She questioned as she turned around as Drake pulled her closer to him.

"Just don't say anything about this to Josh."

"I don't plan on it, but I'm sure he feels the same way you do." She said delicately. She didn't want to upset him.

"You can tell him that, just don't tell him this…" He whispered as he kissed her. It felt right to kiss her, it just did. She didn't fight it, she knew it was better to kiss Drake than it was to kiss Josh. She felt his hands fall onto her waste, like she knew it had for many other girls. She ran her hand through his hair. He felt her lips part and her tongue enter his mouth, she was forward, and he liked it. Kisses like that one were hard to come by, even for Drake Parker, the king of kissing.

'wow…' both breathed as they broke apart.

"I swear I won't tell Josh." She said as she looked into Drakes eyes, they spoke all the words he didn't need to say. "I'll be in the car."

Drake stood there in the bathroom as he watched Taylor walk out the door. He'd finally done what he'd wanted to since he saw her flirt with the Mexican back in Santa Fe. He'd finally kissed a girl that had meant something more to him than sex. Josh could never know that they'd kissed the same girl.

Drake put on the clothes and walked to his car. He was going to drive, no matter what. They'd reach Hershey in two hours. He checked his watch, it was 2 in the afternoon, and they'd get there by 4. Enough time to tour the factory and hang out at the park, just to leave the next morning and reach New York in 2 more hours, than 3 more until Josh was at home in Cambridge with his beloved Mindy by his side.

Drake hopped into the front seat. Josh didn't even acknowledge Drake's presence in the seat next to him. He was way beyond pissed this time.

Drake drove down I-83, it was around 3:30, and they'd be there in another hour or less. He was driving a little fast; it was like a release to him. Josh was asleep in the seat next to him and Oh! Darling by the Beatles was playing on the radio. Drake turned it up a little bit, he was a sucker for any classic rock song.

"Drake…" Taylor began as she scooted up to the edge of her seat.

"Yeah?" He replied, part of him knew what she was going to ask.

"What happened back there…was that for real or was it another one of those moments because you were pissed. Because you seem to…" she stopped when she noted his hand on hers.

"It was for real. I realized that I had sort of a crush on you back in Santa Fe."

"Really, because I realized that I liked you when you stumbled into that diner barely able to speak."

"Doesn't surprise me." He laughed. "I have that way with people."

"So, does that mean we're like…you know?" She paused as he held her hand tighter.

"When Josh is off at Harvard, back with his beloved, that's when."

"So you want me to finish this trip with you?" She asked softly.

"Only if you're willing to deal with me as we go all the way back to San Diego."

"I'm totally willing." She replied as she sat back into the back seat. "If you don't mind I think I'm going to sleep the rest of the way. I want to keep my energy up for touring the chocolate factory." She smiled as she stretched out on the back seat.

Drake smiled, he had no idea why Taylor was the only girl he didn't see as a sex symbol, well she was in retrospect, but it didn't mean that Drake wanted to get in her pants at that exact moment. She was going to be the girl that sex meant something with, no ifs ands or buts. She would be that one.

Drake took the U-Turn at Cocoa Ave, onto West Chocolate Ave, he rolled down the window, it was true, and Hershey really did smell like chocolate, only mixed with car emissions. He looked up at the little kisses that topped the street lights. They were in Chocolate Town USA and he was as excited as he could be as he pulled into the parking lot of the Hershey Factory. He didn't bother to wake Josh and Taylor up yet. He liked things peaceful.

* * *

A/N: And there you go Chapter Nine...okay so yes I know, Taylor and Drake. That was the whole premise of the story when I introduced her. Now it kind of takes a shift from Drake and Josh to Drake and Taylor. But don't worry, Josh will still be in here. I'll jump between them when Josh is off at Harvard. Now I'm done giving things away. Hope you enjoyed.

Thanks Allyson for correcting the Craig/Carl thing, at least Carl was kind of close...I'll be updating that chapter soon.

-Morgan


	10. Choclate Swimming Pools Confusion

Chapter 10

Chocolate + Swimming Pools Confusion

It was almost 4 by the time Drake pulled into the Hershey Factory Parking lot. It wasn't the real factory but it was still any junk food aficionado's paradise.

He decided it was best not to wake the sleeping Josh and Taylor, he needed some Drake time. He always needed some Drake time. Ever since he was young, he'd get mad and run off to mull things over before they escalated into something more dramatic. To anyone, especially Josh, it always seemed like he was running away from his problems. Maybe he was in a way, he hated confrontation, only because he tended to lose his cool and say things that he'd never meant to say.

Drake walked into the front lobby, a small boy about the age of 5 was walking out with his mother, holding his stomach like he'd eaten too many chocolate bars.

"Mommy I don't feel so good." The boy moaned turning paler by the second.

"I told you not to eat that whole bag..." she started as the boy threw up all over the lobby floor. Drake had to admit that it was pretty impressive for a kid his size.

Drake watched as his mother approached him a concerned what-do-I-do-now look on her face.

"Would you mind watching my son for a few moments while I go get someone to clean this mess up?" She asked sweetly. Drake nodded as she ran off to the front desk.

"I'm Kevin, what's your name?" The boy asked with all the enthusiasm and bravado that all kids have.

"Drake. That was quite a show you put on there." Drake said figuring he'd add to the boy's audacity a bit.

"Thanks, my mommy told me not to eat the whole bag of chocolate, but I did anyway. You ever puke like that?" Kevin asked his brown eyes huge.

"Yeah, I went to a Halloween party and got a garbage bag full of candy. My brother told me I should eat two pieces a day for a year, I didn't want to so I locked him in a closet and ate the whole bag." Drake recalled. It was those times that Josh could annoy him so badly. Josh always had to be the good kid, never, ever took a risk, unless Drake made him.

"That's cool. I wish I had a brother. I only have an older sister." Kevin stated as he sat down on the bench next to Drake.

"Yeah, I have a sister. She's not that nice."

"Neither is my sister."

"Kev, say bye to your new friend, we have to go pick up Riana from her friends house." Kevin's mom said as she walked up towards the two. "Thank you so much.."

"Drake"

"Thank you so much Drake for watching Kevin. It meant a lot." She said as she started to turn around but stopped looking at Drake for what seemed like the first time.

"You look like someone I've met before. You don't live around her do you?" She asked while mentally searching for where she'd seen this boy.

"No I'm actually traveling through on my way up to Cambridge. I'm from San Diego." Drake explained. Now that he looked he found her somewhat familiar.

"Weird because I swear you look really, really familiar. You're not one of my daughters friends are you?"

"No I swear." Drake said as he paused. He realized where she might have seen him. "Do you watch MTV?" He asked.

"No, my daughter does. I can't stand that station."

"Oh, I played on TRL last summer. I thought you'd seen me there." He shrugged, both of them obviously out of ideas. She was about to leave when little Kevin broke out of her grip and started chasing pigeons in the parking lot.

"Kevin Michael Parker!" She yelled as she gave her son that trademark I-mean-business-because-I-love-you-and-don't-want-you-to-die look.

Drake froze; there was no way in hell that she was his step-mother, no way in hell. He knew it couldn't be a coincidence, no possible way. It was just too obvious considering Michael was his fathers name and that Kevin had the same brown eyes and dark hair that Drake and his father had.

The lady turned back around to say one final goodbye when she noticed Drake's expressionless face staring at her.

"Drake is something wrong?" She asked in that motherly way.

"No, I mean, I think I know where you know me. It's not possible that you're married to Michael Parker are you? It's not possible that you got married 11 years ago in L.A. at the Marriot by The Bay, is it?" Drake rambled in mild shock.

"How did you know that?" She gawped as he hand covered her mouth.

"I'm Drake Parker, Michael Parkers first and used to be only son. I was at that wedding I was his best man. My sister Megan was the flower girl."

"This is so freaky." She stated in awe. "Well I don't have a lot of time to sit here and reminisce, here's my card give me a call or drop by sometime. I'm sure Mike would be glad to see you after all these years. I'm Carol by the way. See you Drake." She said as she left to go off to who knew where. To the family that his father had obviously wanted more than the one he'd had before. Just seeing her again made feelings he had hidden years ago come back to the surface.

Drake blinked away the tears that were forming. He swore 11 years ago at that wedding that he'd never cry because of his father again. It was Michael Parkers fault for leaving a perfectly good family in search of something better. Drake wondered if he ever felt guilty for leaving Audrey alone with two kids. He wondered if he even knew how happy she was without him. She had Walter, her 'super' Weather Man now. She had two sons and one beautiful daughter. He had his new wife and their daughter and son. He had now exactly what he left. Drake just hoped that he wouldn't screw up as much with Kevin as he had with Drake.

**In The Car…**

Taylor woke up from her nap, only to come to the startling conclusion that the car wasn't moving anymore. She glanced at her watch, 4:25 it flashed. She looked out the window The Hershey Factory sign with its multi-colored gears and animated candy bars stared down on her.

'Great." She muttered under her breath. "Just great."

She pushed herself up to the front seat and nudged Josh's shoulder lightly.

"Josh get up its important." She whispered with a harsh undertone.

"What, I swear I won't ever do it again…" Josh moaned as he opened his eyes a bit. "Since when have we been here?" Josh questioned as he looked around realizing they were at Hershey.

"I don't know but Drake's gone." Taylor said as she opened the car door. "We've got to find him."

"Wait he's just gone? Are you sure he is? Did you look in the gift shop; the boy does have a weakness for junk food you know." Josh rambled as he got out of the car too.

"Well, no and yes. I mean I did kiss him…wait crap I wasn't supposed to tell you that, never mind, just help me find Drake." Taylor said in one jumbled sentence.

"You kissed him?"

"Well he kissed me, but don't say anything."

"Don't plan on it…there he is." Josh said as he saw a sullen looking Drake walking towards them.

"Thank god he didn't do something stupid." She sighed.

"Drake where were you?" Josh asked as he and Taylor walked up to him.

"Waiting for you two to wake up." He smiled as he gently punched Josh's arm. The whole Kevin, Carol thing had put him in an awkward mood. "I say we go tour this factory and get ourselves some chocolate." Drake suggested as he started heading back towards the lobby.

Josh shrugged all of this new found amicability that Drake had towards him away. He learned a few years back never to question when Drake was nice to you, then again, it wasn't always the best idea because when Drake was nice to you it meant he wanted something, but Josh didn't see the need of Drake wanting anything but candy, or possibly Taylor. How odd was it that they both kissed the same girl. That never ever had happened before. Josh was never into the girls that Drake liked and vice versa.

"Come on Josh the candy's awaiting." Drake stated as Josh realized he was lagging behind the other two.

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

**Later...**

"Drake I cannot believe that you got us kicked out of the Hershey Factory. Didn't you realize that everything on that ride was fake? Including that vat of chocolate?" Josh asked incredulously.

"No, they should really tell you that kind of thing before you jump onto a glass window. Plus you got us kicked out of the Pentagon for life so I can get us kicked out of the Hershey Factory. Anyway it's not like if I come back in like 20 years they'll remember me." Drake stated. Josh should have realized by now in that Drake could not control himself around candy and or junk food.

"I'm shocked they let you keep that gigantic 40lb Hershey Bar." Taylor quickly interjected changing the conversation.

"Yeah, I just hope this baby doesn't melt in the car while we're at the park."

"How long is it going to take you to eat it? Because I figure you should eat about a hearty chunk a day for like the next year." Josh calculated in his head.

"How about I lock you in a closet, eat the whole bar, then puke it back up, fall asleep, and then leave you in the closet overnight again." Drake retorted. Josh always loved to ruin his good moods.

"Drake, I'm just trying to look out for you."

"I don't need anyone looking out for me Josh. I don't need you to always play my mother. You've been trying to be my mother ever since you moved in my house. I don't see why we had to share a room anyway. We have a guest room. You could have had that room." Drake yelled as Josh pissed him off more.

"Drake, no offense but you need someone to tell you what you should and shouldn't do. Obviously by jumping off a moving ride to jump into a vat of what would have been hot chocolate, you proved that you need someone to watch after you. Drake when you crashed that dune buggy you could have hurt yourself more by trying to get 'away' with it. Drake the decisions you make on a daily basis prove that you're not mature enough to live by yourself."

"Josh would you shut up? I don't need your advice, I never needed it. I was fine until my mother married your father. Wait correct that I was fine until my father left. The last thing I needed was a new dad and a new brother. A brother, who never thinks of himself and always, has to butt into other people's business. Would you just leave me alone for like the rest of the day? Is that too much to ask? Is it? Because if it is and you can't handle it then I don't think I care about going on the stupid Mustang." Drake stated firmly.

"Could we please stop fighting like this? What has your problem been this whole trip? You've been getting pissed at the stupidest things. You got angry at me for trying to fix your car out in the desert, Drake I didn't want to wake you up. I was respecting your space like you always ask me to. I'm sorry that I got us kicked out of the pentagon, not like you cared to see it anyway. Drake what is your deal?" Josh pleaded with Drake who stood there with a scowl on his face.

"Josh, ugh, I hate you so much but at the same time I love you. I love you like a brother. You mean so god damn much to me that I have no idea what the hell I'm going to do with my life after I drop you off at Harvard in like two days. Josh I wish I were going there with you. I wish I were smart enough to be going to college this year. If it hadn't been for you I wouldn't have even graduated High School. Josh it's not going to be the same back home. I'll have no one waking me up at 6 in the morning, I won't have someone always nagging me to clean up my stuff, to do my homework. I'll have no one to tell me that I shouldn't do something. I just don't want you to leave." Drake sighed as tears filled his eyes. He found it hard to believe the words that had just come pouring out of his mouth. It wasn't that they weren't true, they were, it was just that they hurt too much to say.

"It won't be that bad, I promise. If it makes you feel any better I won't have any fun. I won't have you dragging me off to those taboo college parties that go on anyway. I won't have you to make me 'cool'. I'll go back to being dorky Josh."

"You are still dorky Josh."

"Well then I'll be even dorkier."

"That's pretty hard to do."

"Drake, focus."

"Sorry."

"Well if you two have this whole issue settled let's go ride rollercoaster's until we puke, eat tons of junk and enjoy some good times before the next two days are up." Taylor suggested as she walked to the car. "I'll be waiting in the car while you two kiss and make up." She giggled as she turned back towards them.

"Josh, I really am sorry for this whole trip."

'Don't be, most of it was fun. Hey now we can tell our grandchildren that we got kicked out of the Pentagon and the Hershey factory." Josh stated excited that he'd have another great story for when his children and grandchildren asked him what he did when he was younger.

"Okay, as long as you forgive me because I forgive you."

"Dude, yeah I forgive you."

The two quickly glanced around for people watching and just as quickly hugged each other. It was amazing how they were able to make up just like that. It seemed like this was the millionth time they'd done so this trip. Fights like that were bound to happen; they'd been in a car with each other for about a week now. Traveling places they'd never been before. Places they'd probably never see together again. This was really their last hurrah and it was going to go out with a bang.

**At The Hotel…**

"I am so bored." Drake moaned as he rolled over onto his back on queen sized bed they'd made out of the two twins in the hotel room. Jurassic Park was playing in the background and no one was really watching it.

"Me too." Taylor sighed as she leaned her head back against the bed.

"Josh you bored?" Drake asked his brother who was already in his jammies and under the covers. Josh gave no response. Drake knew he was already asleep. "Hey Taylor since Josh is asleep you want to go swimming or something?" He suggested as he got off the bed.

"Do we even have suits? Is the pool even open?" She inquired as she stood up too.

"No and probably not, let's just consider it an adventure. If we get kicked out we can always sneak back in. We're paying customers aren't we?"

"Well, yeah I guess so, but…"

"But what? Come on have a little adventure in your life."

"Yeah, fine I guess I could go. You have the key card?" She asked as Drake pulled it out of his pocket and put in back in.

"Way ahead of you."

Drake opened the door as so to not wake Josh up. The hallway was quiet except for the occasional kids talking or crying in a few of the rooms. Drake held his finger up to his lips signaling for Taylor to be as quiet as possible.

"Want to race there?" Drake whispered as he got ready to run.

"You can't run in a hotel, that's worse than breaking into a pool." Taylor said in a hushed voice.

"Thanks for single handedly killing my dream of running down a hotel hallway with a hott girl." Drake put on his trademark face that neither man nor woman alike could refuse.

"You know that face works every time don't you. I bet it even works on people you don't even know. I wonder how many tickets, free movies, and other stuff you've gotten or gotten out of with that face."

"You bet. This face gets me out of everything." Drake smiled. "So last one there gets in first."

"Fine by me."

"3…2…1…go." Drake whispered as he bolted down the hallway. What Drake didn't know was that all the years Taylor had done track would start to pay off now. She was not only the fastest runner in her town, but in her county. Drake stopped at the elevator while Taylor bolted down three floors to the lobby. She pushed open the door to see the elevator doors open wide.

She and Drake were neck in neck as they reached the door but at the last minute Taylor pushed herself harder like she'd learned how to in track and beat him there. Both stopped to catch their breath and make it look like they weren't up to anything suspicious.

"Is it locked?' Taylor said when she finally caught her breath.

"Yeah but don't worry. I've come prepared." Drake stated as he pulled out his wallet. He opened the tattered brown, leather wallet and pulled out a bobby pin. He smiled as he held it up raising his eyebrow a bit.

"You keep a bobby pin in your wallet?"

"There are three things a guy should always have in his wallet."

"And those are…?"

"I was just about to get there. The three things are, spare car and house keys, an extra condom and a bobby pin. If you're anything like McGuiver those three things will get you out of any situation."

"Really?"

"Really, really. Trust me. All those three things have come in handy. When you lock yourself out of your car you have the spare key in your pocket, when you sneak out at night you have the house key in your pocket. When you have an unexpected date with a girl the condom is really, really helpful, it's saved my ass a couple of times. And finally the bobby pin, for sneaking into hotel pools or when your girlfriend freaks about her hair or something like that." Drake explained as he jimmied the lock on the door. "There, open." Drake said as he pulled open the door to the pool. Both of them snuck in as quietly as they could.

The room was dark and the pool was so still that the light of the moon through the windows gave this incredible luster over the water. It seemed as though not the water was moving, but that the moon was dancing on the water.

Drake stood there next to Taylor, the moonlight casting its pale glow over both of them. It was the only thing lighting up the room, besides that few streetlights that didn't contribute too much. It was so quiet that the only thing you could hear was the breathing and the eerie echo's that came from nowhere.

Drake turned to Taylor and watched as the moonlight brought out her eyes even more. He smiled and she smiled back.

"Well Drake you lost the bet, you know what that means." Taylor smiled as she nudged Drake closer to the pool.

She watched as he took off his shirt and his pants, revealing a pretty nice body underneath it all. Though she already knew he was going to have a pretty amazing physique, it was a pleasant surprise. She noted the tattoo of John Lennon's glasses on his right shoulder. Making her think about her own. He was wearing a pair of black boxer briefs, not too revealing but enough to make him slightly blush. It wasn't that he was embarrassed by what he had, he was actually rather proud of what he'd been 'endowed' with. He blushed because he could feel her watching him, analyzing him and sizing him up for what he was based on looks. Making sure he really was as hott and he played himself to be.

"Here goes nothing or everything…" Drake yelled as he made a running jump into the pool. He resurfaced a few seconds later shaking the water out from his hair. "Man it's not that cold." He laughed as he swam around a little. The moonlight dancing on the water and his skin made everything seem insubstantial. "Hey you know what?" Drake asked swimming to the edge of the pool.

"What?" Taylor asked playfully as she backed up knowing what Drake was going to do.

"I think it's your turn to jump in." He laughed as he swam backwards.

"Okay fine…but close your eyes." She said as she began to take off her shirt.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before…wait, I mean…never mind, I'll close my eyes." He faltered as he put his hand over his eyes.

"And no peaking." She added as his hand parted open a bit.

"Fine, but you watched me."

"I don't care." She laughed as she took of her shirt revealing a simple black bra and took off her pants showing matching boy cut black briefs. Not exactly the most risqué underwear choice. She took a running leap and splashed into the cool water. She resurfaced next to Drake who just looked at her taking in everything, through the distortion of the water.

"See it's not that bad is it?" Drake asked

"What that I'm wearing nothing but my underwear or the water?"

"Both I guess." Drake shrugged as he swam closer to Taylor, adrenaline and pure animal instinct taking over. She moved in too, she'd never really known what it was like for a guy to genuinely like her. For a guy to like her for more than what her bra size was. And even though Drake Parker put on the façade that he only went for girls with a "D" average and short skirts, he really wanted something more and she could feel it. Maybe it was the way that he looked at her, or the time they'd spent together in the past week that told her he was in it for the long haul. Or maybe it was because he'd offered to take her across country. Who knew, maybe she'd end up in San Diego with him. Maybe they'd get married. But whatever happened down the road of their lives was irrelevant at the moment, all that matter to either of them was that this whole thing felt right. Everything about the water, the moon, their unspoken love felt right to them, and that's what mattered.

"This feels so right." Drake whispered as he placed his arms around her waist.

"You don't have to tell me that." She smiled as she placed her arms around his neck. "I've never felt anything more perfect than this."

"Of all the girls I've ever done this with, you make it seem okay. You make it okay to break the rules."

"You were never breaking any rules. We're not breaking rules. It's okay for things to feel right."

"If we're doing things that feel right…" he began in a soft whisper. "Than I want you to know that this is the right thing…" he kissed her gently then as they broke apart whispered _I love you_. The first time he'd ever meant it. The first time those three little words had some meaning. The first time he'd ever used it at the right time. The first time it didn't have to lead to something more than what they had right here and right now.

"I love you too." She breathed. "Just so you know, you just said the right thing at the right time." She said as she kissed him.

There they were two kids in a hotel pool, finally doing what they knew was right the whole time. Both finding out for once what it was like to truly care about another person again. Both leaving the security of their past behind and launching forward into the future.

"Come here…"Taylor began as she walked towards the ladder that got out of the pool. She climbed out and waited for Drake to follow her.

"Where are we going?" Drake questioned but she placed a finger on his lips.

"Shhhh…" she breathed as she grabbed his hand and lead him into the changing room.

"What is this?" Drake asked again as she turned on the handicapped shower. "Wait, are you suggesting that we…I mean…let me go get my…" he rambled but she just shook her head and kissed him gently.

She pulled him into the steaming shower with her and they started doing what they knew they both wanted. Their hands traced each others bodies and before either knew it they were both standing in front of each other, no holds bar. Both devoid of clothing, both of their walls down, both at their most vulnerable. Drake took his hands off Taylor's face and began to leave the shower.

"Drake where are you going?" Taylor started "It's not like we both don't want to do this."

"I'm not saying that I don't. I'm saying let me get my wallet." He said as he walked out and grabbed his wallet out of his pants and came back shortly. He opened his wallet and the card his step-mother had given him before fell out on the floor. He stared at it blankly as Taylor stood there waiting.

"What is this?" She asked as she bent down to pick up the piece of paper. "Why do you have a photographer from Pennsylvania's business card?" She sighed as the thought hit her that she might be another girl that he was planning on having sex with. "Don't tell me Drake, don't tell me that this is another girl…don't tell me that I'm another girl. This was supposed to mean something Drake." She yelled as she grabbed a towel out of the makeshift linen closet.

"Taylor…it's not. I swear to god. Okay come with me…" He said as he grabbed her arm and led her out of the changing room. He grabbed a towel from the box by the lifeguard station and they sat down dangling their feet in the pool. "Okay so this might sound really random, because it is, but you have to believe me." He began as he pleaded for her to believe him with his eyes. She nodded.

"So this afternoon while you and Josh were sleeping I met this woman and her son. Her son was 5 and his name was Kevin. I didn't think anything of his brown hair and brown eyes and addiction to junk food until I heard her call out his name. He ran into the parking lot and she yelled, Kevin Michael Parker…" he explained as her face contorted in confusion. "I thought it was a coincidence that his middle name was my Fathers and that his last name was mine. Then it hit me…he was my half-brother, she was my step-mother. After a small talk she gave me her card telling me to come visit her. I might just do it tomorrow. I don't know. It'd be so awkward seeing my dad after 8 years of unsent Birthday Cards and un-replied letters." Drake stated as he stared down at the pool the water skipped on his face.

"Drake I'm sorry I jumped like that." Taylor said softly as she placed her chin on his shoulder.

"I can't say I blame you. Just know that I really do love you. And I really want to prove it to you." He sighed as he held onto her hand.

"You can do that now." She whispered in his ear, and then gently kissed his cheek. She placed the condom in his hands and kissed him on the lips.

"You are too forward." He laughed as he placed the condom on the ground. And held her face in his hands, she smiled back, undoing the towel that was wrapped around his waist.

A few towels, kisses, and _I love you's _later, they found themselves wrapped in each other on the cement floor by the pool.

"You are amazing." Taylor sighed as she ran her hand down Drakes arm.

"Yeah, I know." He said cockily as he smiled and kissed her other hand that was resting in his.

"You're too cocky." She laughed as he kissed her gently.

"Yeah, I know." He laughed again.

He moved to lie down next to her.

"Here." He whispered as he pulled her close to lie on his chest. "The floor's too cold and hard for you to lie on." He said in a manly, I-must-protect-you way. Taylor giggled as she placed her head on his chest. She could hear him breathing and his heart beat. The combination of the two eased her into a deep sleep. Drake followed suit, the two of them, quietly sleeping on the cement floor, poolside, of the Holiday Inn. Neither of them noticing the one detail they forgot...

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, intense chapter I know. No wonder it took me so long to write. Actually it took me so long to write because first: I have school which is a Bch right now I mean with prom and what not comming up (btw I totally asked someone...eek hasn't said anything as of now...:(... okay back to the list second: I killed my computer for awhile...kind of tripped and broke the hard drive so I ended up losing the like 3/4's of this chapter that I had done. Then Third: this chapter is gosh darn long. it's like...11 pages on word. So it's the longest I've like ever written maybe. Oh well, enjoy chapter 11 should be up soon.

Mo


	11. I'm sorry but I tried

Chapter 11

I'm Sorry But I tried…

Troy, the on duty lifeguard for the morning shift didn't expect to see what he did once he opened the doors to the swimming pool.

Troy, who was the average college student working off the last days of summer in order to pay his next years tuition was the least to say stunned when he saw the teenager sleeping in a mess of towels on the ground.

He dropped his book bag on the floor and questioned what to do for a few seconds; it was either go and tell his manager or wake the boy up. He decided on the later, seeing as he'd done his fair share of things like this and he knew that he'd never want to get caught after having sex at a hotel swimming area.

"Dude you might want to get up." Troy said as he nudged Drake.

"Where the? What the hell?" Drake stumbled as he stood up forgetting he wasn't wearing anything.

"Dude…you might want to uh…" Troy gestured as he blushed. Drake quickly picked up the towel and blushed too.

"Shit, I'm so sorry, this is never going to happen again. I swear on my face." Drake stated as he picked up his clothes. It was obvious that Taylor had gone and changed. At that moment she walked out of the bathroom fully clothed. She saw Troy and Drake and her hand covered her mouth.

"Dude, don't worry about it." Troy said. "I've done crap like this before. You two can go."

Drake quickly pulled on his clothes and he and Taylor left the pool and walked into the lobby. Once there both broke out in laughter.

"You should have woken me up when you got up." Drake laughed as he started to head towards the elevator.

"Well sorry. I didn't expect that guy to show up while I was gone."

"Come on let's get back to the room." He suggested as he grabbed her hand.

"You can, I've got to go get a new toothbrush from the gift shop." She lied as she kissed his cheek and walked off.

"Okay see you in a few." He stated as he walked down the lobby.

Taylor walked to the gift shop, thank god it was open. She walked in and browsed around for a few moments. She stopped at the personal care shelf. She knew what she needed but she didn't need the look the elderly cashier would give her when she bought it. Maybe she'd lie and say it was for her mother. She held the box in her hands. She didn't really need to buy it, but she would regret it later on if she didn't now, chances were that one of the boys would always be with her.

She sighed, it wasn't like it was Drake's fault he hadn't remembered to use it, and it was equally their own faults. It was her responsibility as much as it was his. She picked up the box hoping she wouldn't need it, praying she wouldn't need it.

She placed the box on the counter and looked away as the cashier placed it in the bag. Taylor left the shop quickly. Should she even tell Drake that they'd forgotten? Was it worth the headache now? He had enough to think about, he didn't need another 'maybe' hanging over his head. Chances were she wasn't even pregnant. She opened the box and pulled out the test and instructions and shoved them deep into her jacket pocket. She'd make sure he didn't find out until it was a certain yes.

She walked into the room to see Drake sitting on the edge the bed playing one of the many video games that Josh had brought with him to college. Taylor sat down next to him.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"So are you going to visit your Father or not?" Taylor asked as she placed her hands in her lap.

"I suppose. I mean if he really wanted to talk to me over the past 10 years he would have at least sent a card, or called, or something to that extent. He doesn't care about me, my mom, and my sister. He just doesn't." Drake explained as he paused the video game.

"How do you know that he doesn't care? How do you know that he didn't try sending you things or calling you? He probably had no idea what to say. What would you have said to him?"

"I don't know what I would have said then, but I know what I'm going to say now." Drake stated as he turned off the console. "I'm going to change and tell Josh what we're doing today." Drake said as he got up and pulled out a clean pair of clothes. He walked into the bathroom leaving Taylor alone on the edge of the bed.

"Morning brother." Josh greeted enthusiastically as Drake entered the bathroom.

"Hey can I tell you something?" Drake asked as he took off his shirt.

"I know what you and Taylor did last night. It's pretty obvious." Josh replied assuming that was what Drake was going to talk to him about. "No hard feelings. I never really liked her like that anyway."

"Josh, it's not about that."

"Oh, well, then what's it about? You can tell me anything." Josh said supporting his brother with a pat on the back.

"I met my step-mother yesterday."

"You what? The chick your Dad left your mom for?"

"Yep. I also met my half-brother and apparently I have another step-sister. Too many siblings now." Drake said as he put on deodorant.

"They live here?"

"Yeah, mind if we stop by today?" Drake asked as he began to mess with his hair. He had serious sex head and it wasn't a laughing matter.

"No, not at all."

"Thanks."

"Just so you know…" Josh started as he began to leave the bathroom. "If you need me for like emotional support, I'll be there." Josh said as he smiled and left his brother. Maybe this would be the last of their fighting; at least Josh hoped it would be. He was going to be at Harvard in two days. Two days.

**Later…**

The blue Pontiac Ventura pulled into the driveway of a blue cape. Drake turned off the ignition and let his hand drop off the key.

"I can't do this." He sighed as he placed his head in his hands. "It's been to god damn long. 11 fucking years and he never send one card. I can't just waltz into his life pretending nothing happened between us."

"Drake, just do it." Josh supported him as he patted his shoulder. "You'll only regret it later.

Drake breathed deep and opened the car door.

"We'll be right here." Taylor comforted as she grabbed his hand. "We'll be right here."

Drake walked up the brick pathway towards the house. He stood on the covered porch and knocked on the oak door with the glass windows. He stood there running his hand through his hair, mentally going through what he'd saw to his father. None of what he was thinking making much sense.

Drake saw the shadow moving in the door way. A girl a few years younger than him opened the door with a confused scowl on her face.

"Sorry I am not interested in you or your friends." She said as she began to close the door.

"Is that how you treat people you don't know?" Drake asked as he put his arm against the door so she couldn't close it. "I'm a friend of your mothers."

"Excuse me? You're like 17. You are no friend of my mothers. What do you want from us?" She questioned with an underlying tone of anger and defense in her voice.

"You want the truth or you want me to say I'm here selling Girl Scout cookies?" He stated getting cocky. He hated when people were rude to him for no good reason.

"Riana who's at the door?" Drake heard Carol ask as she walked into the front room. She saw Drake and smiled. "Drake, it's so good to see you, come in, come in." She said gaily as she hugged Drake. Riana scowled some more and sat back on the couch watching TV.

"Drake how's your stay in Hershey been?" Carol inquired as she led Drake into the kitchen. He took in the house carefully. Fully absorbing every picture, every couch, every minute detail. He memorized it. His father was able to provide for his new family. Too bad he had to leave a perfectly good one behind.

"It's been great." Drake replied as he remembered last night.

"That's nice. If you want to talk to Michael he's in the basement. It's the first door to your left down the hallway." She added as Drake walked down the hallway. He stopped when he spied Riana standing in front of him about to open the second door down.

"You pissed that I actually knew your Mom?" Drake asked just as spiteful as she had been towards him.

"No, I don't care if you like dating older, married women." She retorted opening the door a crack.

"Just so you know it's not your mother that I've had previous relations with it's your Father." He stated knowing full well that she'd misinterpret that.

"Thanks for the nightmares…You can go have your gay fest, just make sure you don't hurt my mom."

"We'll I'll see you later sis." Drake said as he opened the door and began to head down the stair case.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well go ask your Mom, but your Step Dad is my birth Dad." Drake said as he walked down the stairs and shut the door behind him.

Riana bit her tongue. This creep was related to her. She scoffed the idea of that and walked into the bathroom like she'd been planning to do.

Drake could hear the acoustic guitar being played. How could he have forgotten it was his father that had made him want to learn guitar in the first place. It was his father that had taught him his first chords. It was also after his father left that Drake didn't touch another guitar until he was 14 and realized it'd be cool to start his own band.

Drake reached the bottom landing and walked towards the small studio his father had obviously made in his basement. It was good to know that he still had his music.

Drake stood outside the open door watching his father for the first time in 11 years. It was undeniable that he was Michael Parkers son; they had the same brown eyes, same hair, and the same features. Drake recalled the picture of his parent's senior prom. He had compared it to his senior prom picture. He'd taken a girl that he'd known since his childhood. Carrie, she was one of those originals on their block. He'd forgotten that she still lived next door to him until he saw her washing the mustang she'd gotten for her birthday. He'd never seen anything as risqué as that on their block, since the time Old Mrs. Johnson washed her dog…that was a day he never wanted to repeat again.

Mike finished his song and noticed the shadow in the doorway.

"Can I help you?" he asked as he put down his guitar and began to walk towards the door.

"It's okay _Dad_ you can sit down." Drake said as he walked in, the light showing his face.

"Drake? Is that really you?" Mike stated in awe as he walked over and hugged his son. Drake didn't hug him back. "It is you, no doubt, you have my eyes, my hair, hell son, you have my face." He laughed as he held Drakes face in his hands studying his son. "What's it been like 5 years?" Mike asked sitting back down and taking a sip of water out of his water bottle.

"It's been 11 years Dad." Drake breathed as he stood there. How could his father go on pretending nothing had happened and he wasn't here in Pennsylvania, how could he go on like they were best friends?

"My god you've grown up. How old are you now 16?"

"19."

"Oh, so how are Audrey and Megan?" He asked.

"Mom got remarried 5 years ago."

"Really? Wow that's good for her."

"To the Weather man from KDJY, Walter Nichols. His son, my step brother, Josh is here with me now. We're on our way to Harvard."

"Wow, she loves Weather men, she's lucky. You got into Harvard. I always knew you'd do better than I did. And Megan?"

"Josh got into Harvard. I'm going nowhere. Megan's fine." Drake breathed. Why couldn't he feel the tension in the room rising. Why was his Father so comfortable hearing all this.

"Oh. You still playing guitar?" Mike questioned as he pulled up another chair for Drake to sit in. "Here sit down, stay awhile."

Drake sat in the chair but still maintained a malignant attitude towards his father.

"Yeah. I have a band. We played on TRL a few summers ago. I got a record deal with spin city records but we haven't had time to record anything yet." Drake bragged. His father still had no record deal.

"Drake, that's awesome." Mike congratulated his son. He really had made it farther than he ever had at least in music. "Keep up with your music. It'll get you places."

"How could you leave us like that? How could you leave Mom for Carol? What does Carol have that Mom doesn't? What does Riana have that Megan doesn't? What does Kevin have that I don't? What was so much better about all this than what you had?" Drake yelled as he felt the tears about to come. He wouldn't cry because of his father. He just wouldn't. He told himself 11 years ago that he wouldn't cry anymore.

"Drake… I know it's hard to understand but…"

"But what Dad, but what?"

"Drake I'd known Audrey since high school. When we had you, we were only 20 Drake. We got married because we thought it was the right thing to do. I think you're old enough to know this, but Megan was a mistake. We'd been planning to get divorced right before that happened, but she messed it all up. Your mother and I tried to work it out for the next four years. Drake it didn't work. We both knew it wasn't going to. I met Carol at a conference. You Mother and I made this decision together. She decided it'd be better for her to keep you and Megan…Drake it was a stupid thing for us to think we could make it work. We did the right thing. I hope you will realize it someday." Mike explained as Drake felt the tears begin to fall down his cheeks and the anger beginning to rage inside him.

"So what your saying is that Megan and I were mistakes and because you didn't know how to handle it you left. You figured the best thing to do was to leave. I remember Mom throwing a hair dryer at you when she found out you were cheating on her. She kicked you out of the house. I watched as she threw your things out the front door. I remember comforting her and Megan that day. You left me an 8 year old boy responsible for your fucking mistakes. Mom was right you are an ass hole. And I can't believe you just lied to me." Drake cried as the tears fell down his face.

"Damnit…" His Father whispered under his breath. "Drake I'm sorry, but I tried. I tried so god damn hard to be a good father to you and Megan. I tried to be a good husband to your mother. You won't understand how hard it is until you have kids of your own."

"Yet, you left her for another family. You left us for another family. Dad Riana is not much younger than me. She couldn't have been more than four when you met Carol. You left one family for another." Drake yelled some more standing up and walking towards the door. "You're weak and I can't believe that I'm related to you. I can't believe that I'm your son. I hope you don't fuck up with Kevin. I hope he doesn't turn out like you." Drake spat as he turned and left.

"Drake…there's something I need to show you." Mike said as he grabbed his sons shoulder and walked towards a hall closet in the basement. He pulled down a shoe box. He opened the lid. The box contained all sorts of Birthday Cards, Christmas Cards, for Drake and Megan. "I said I was sorry, but I tried. It never felt right sending you cards. I have all the ones you sent me. Drake I'm sorry." Mike confessed as he placed the box into Drakes hands.

"You can't undo all of the shit that you wrecked with a box of unsent greeting cards." Drake muttered as he gave the box back. "I don't need your excuses or all your lies."

"What do you want?" Mike begged.

"I want you to realize what kind of mistake you made. I want you to realize you left us for something else but ended up with what you already have. It's not fair to Mom what you did to her. It's not fair what you did to me. You left me alone to take care of a broken woman when I was only 8 years old. You let me grow up without a father figure in my life. Not like it's been all that bad. If you never had left us Mom would have never met Walter and I would have never gotten the chance to meet Josh Nichols, the most amazing step brother a guy could ever hope for." Drake shouted in a loud whisper as the tears fell down his face. "Sleep on that." Drake added as he ran up the stairs wiping away the tears that were on his face. He pushed open the door and went into the kitchen hoping to find Carol. He was relived when he saw her fixing lunch for Kevin.

"Drake! What are you doing at my house?" Kevin asked excited to see his friend again.

"Here to see you." Drake said back as he patted Kevin's hair.

"Cool."

"Carol, thank you so much for letting me stop by today." Drake began.

"No problem your welcome here anytime." She stated as the basement door opened and Mike came into the kitchen.

"Daddy, my friend Drake is here." Kevin exclaimed as he ate a bite of his macaroni.

"I see that. Drake you still live in San Diego right?" Mike asked as Drake nodded and turned away.

"Carol thanks again." Drake stated as he walked towards the front door.

"No problem, keep in touch, the numbers on the card."

Drake walked down the hallway and out the front door. He closed it behind him leaving the family to themselves. He knew it wasn't going to be all laughs and giggles meeting his father for the first time in 11 years. Even though Mike wanted it to be a trip down memory lane, it could have been if his father wasn't as much of an ass as he was. Maybe what happened between his parents 11 years ago was worth it. If he and Megan hadn't been 'mistakes' he wouldn't be here right now and neither would Josh. Once everything was boiled down to its original idea, it was all right, in its own little microcosm Michael Parker leaving his wife and two children was all for the better. It made Walter and Josh Nichols all the more happier.

Drake opened the car door and slid into the driver's seat. He turned on the ignition and backed out of the driveway. Taylor and Josh not having to ask how it went, they both knew Drake well enough that they could read his emotions like a book. His body language and his eyes spoke the words he didn't have too.

Once out of sight from the house, Drake pulled over onto the side of the road and cried. He let all the emotions he kept bottled up over the past 11 years out. He cried for everything he never cried about. Josh knew that he shouldn't say anything, he knew it would make matters worse, Taylor knew it too. Both just patted Drake on the shoulder and left the car for a while.

**The Blithe-Parker Household…**

Mike Parker held the phone in his hands. He knew the number by heart, countless were the times he spent dialing then hanging up on the first ring.

He dialed the number, he wasn't going to hang up this time.

"Hello?" an adult female voice answered.

"Audrey?"

* * *

Okay, so there you go another chapter. At least this one didn't take me a month to write. Though I would expcet another one soonish seeing as Spring Vaca is comming up. WOOT but then again so are AP Exams...cries BTW, random input my cousin Lily who's two she looks like she could be the offspring of Drake and Josh, if they were to have one...She got this curly brown hair which very closely resembles Josh's and this huge brown eyes...like Drake. I noticed this at easter and had to tell someone who'd appreciate that.

Lol...enjoy

Mo


	12. Oh how things change

**Chapter 12**

Oh How Things Change...

**San Diego California…**

Audrey was making herself lunch in the kitchen, the light coming in through the window over the sink. She'd just spent the afternoon cleaning the house for no reason in particular. She knew Walter wouldn't notice that his ties were neatly color coded in his drawer and Drake would never notice that his room was a little less dusty when he came back.

She sat back in a chair at the small kitchen table and sighed. She missed her kids. With Drake and Josh off touring the country, Megan in Denver with her friend, the house was far too quiet for her. She missed the days when she had to stop Drake and Josh's fighting and force them to be nice to their younger sister. She hated to admit that she was glad Drake was coming back home. Though she did wish he'd done better in school so at least he could to San Diego State, but she was proud that he at least got his High School Diploma. Plus she figured a year off would do him good. He'd get to actually do some work with his band and possibly produce a record by the end of the year.

She was just about finished with her chicken cesar salad when the phone rang. Megan wasn't due back home for another week and Drake wasn't due back until then either. Megan had been calling her every other night just to check in and the boy's hadn't called her at all. She hoped that the phone was none of her children. She looked at the caller ID and when it didn't register she feared the worst that Drake and Josh were calling her from some phone booth in the middle of nowhere because something had happened.

But instead of a Mom she got… "Audrey?"

"This is Audrey, Who is this?" She asked rinsing out her lunch bowl.

"Audrey, its Mike." The male voice said on the other end.

"Michael Parker? The man who left me with two children for someone else?" Audrey stated she grabbed hold of the kitchen counter; she didn't know if she should pass out or hang up on him. "I thought I told you the day you left that I wanted nothing to do with you."

"Audrey, forget about that. The past is the past after all."

"You think you can call me 11 years after our divorce and tell me that the past is the past?"

"Audrey, Drake stopped by today. Actually he just left." Mike said as he looked up at the clock on his desk. "That kid has my face but your bitterness. How'd you know where I live? I thought moving across the country would ensure that we never saw each other."

"I take it Drake's fine then. And I never told him where you lived. I never knew you where you ended up. I never cared. I still don't care." Audrey said with bitterness in her voice.

"Yep, Drake definitely has your bitterness."

"I take it he said something to you."

"He made me realize what a jerk I really was when I left you 11 years ago."

"Well I never told him to say any of that. He must have decided to do it on his own."

"Audrey, I know apologies won't ever equate to the shit that I did. But, I want you to know that I really am sorry. And all it took was seeing my son again."

"Your right apologies won't make any of it okay. Mike, I'm still pissed at what you did, I probably always will be. But I'm happy now; I have a husband, two sons, and a daughter. And just so you know…

"He's a weather man." They said at the same time.

"How'd you know?" Audrey asked.

"Drake told me. You know that kid has got my sense of pride."

"You never had a sense of pride. You didn't raise him Mike; he has nothing from you except your genes. Everything that Drake knows is because of me. I raised him Mike, I raise both of them. Megan doesn't even know who you are. Sure she's seen pictures but she has no memories. Do you know how hard it was to tell both of them that their Daddy was never going to come back? Megan got over it but Drake, Drake never got over it. Whatever he told you he deserved to tell you and you deserved to hear it, however unflattering and hurtful it was." Audrey yelled as tears started to fall down her cheeks.

"Audrey…" Mike began but knew his words would be meaningless.

"Goodbye again Mike, I hope you realize what you did, but just so you know we're all happy and fine without you. We always were." Audrey said softly as she hung up the phone.

Audrey wiped the tears from her face and walked upstairs to start packing her bags. Walter would be coming home soon for their trip to Cambridge. They were going to meet Josh and Drake at Harvard to see their son off to college. They were going to leave tonight, she knew now that they were close. She'd lied when she told Mike that she never knew where he lived, she'd known all along that he'd lived in Hershey Pennsylvania. She'd known since he'd left. Carol, always trying to be nice to everyone had called her and tried to be 'friends' with Audrey. Audrey knew it wouldn't work; you can't be friends with someone else's ex. It just doesn't happen.

Walter came home to bags waiting by the door with Audrey dressed in a pair of jeans and a red velvet blazer.

"Where are we going?" Walter asked. He was like Josh; it always took him a second or two to put the pieces together.

"We're going to Cambridge; the boy's will be there sometime tomorrow." Audrey said as she grabbed the bags.

"Can I go change first?" Walter asked pointing out that he was still wearing a suit and tie.

"Sure just be quick."

"And what about Megan?"

"She's not going to be back for another week. I called her and told her were we'd be." Audrey said soothingly she just wanted this whole day to be over, she just wanted both her boys safe where she could reach them.

Walter ran upstairs and changed into a pair of pants and a sweater. He helped Audrey load the luggage into the car and drove to the airport. It was going to be a long flight to Logan Airport, then a long drive down to Cambridge the next morning.

**Some Suburbia outside Hershey…**

Drake had finished crying and wiped the tears off his face. He didn't know why he felt so guilty and dirty for crying in front of Josh and Taylor but he appreciated what they did by leaving him alone.

Drake had only known his father for 8 years but it was those 8 years which made him not believe his Mother when he asked her 6 years later what happened between them. Even at the age of 14 he found it hard to believe that his Father was the jerk his mother said he was. Drake believed it now and he figured he owed his mother an apology.

He turned on the car and began to drive around the neighborhood knowing he'd find Josh and Taylor somewhere.

He found them sitting on the curb a few minutes later.

"What are you boobs sitting there for? Get in; we've got to make it to New York today." Drake laughed as he rolled down the window. He was always able to hide things like that; it was always put on a smile and be the center of attention. Drake was always the puppet.

Taylor and Josh smiled too figuring it was what they should do. They both knew if Drake wanted to talk about what happened he would in time. If not they both knew that they shouldn't press it.

Josh climbed into the front seat, Taylor into the back.

"I'm here for you bro." Josh said softly as he placed his hand on Drake's arm.

"I know you are." Drake replied as he turned on to the main road and headed towards I-81 N.

In two hours he'd be in the one city he loved more than Los Angeles, New York. His favorite place was Times Square, so many people, so many lights; there he could be just another pretty face in the crowd. At least in LA he fit in, everyone else there was just as good looking as he was and no one would pick him out from a crowd. That's what he liked about cities, you were never alone but at the same time you were always alone.

Drake merged onto I-78 east and noted that he and Josh were the only ones awake. Taylor had fallen asleep listening to Josh's Geo. Who knew that there was another person that liked the same music he did.

"Josh thanks for doing what you did back there. I mean leaving me alone and what not." Drake stated as he hit the gas a little more pushing the speed up to 78 mph. driving fast was a release to him as it was many other people.

"I figured you needed to be alone as always." Josh said as he shifted in the seat.

"I bet you want to know what happened." Drake laughed. Josh always had to know everything, which was the catch 22 about his caring personality; he just had to know, always.

"You know you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Josh said softly. Though he did always like to know everything about everyone he always felt guilty if someone told him when they didn't want to.

"It's okay, I want to tell someone who can understand and not try to make it better."

"So, what was it like meeting your Dad again?" Josh asked. Josh wouldn't meet his mother again. She died when he was 6 and it'd really impacted his father more than it had Josh. Josh still knew that his Dad didn't think that his mother was dead.

"My mother was right the whole time. She told me he wasn't a good person. I never believed her. He's a jerk. It's probably where I get it, I mean I do have his face, or at least that's what he says." Drake said with a tone of regret in his voice.

"So what if you have his face, you don't have to be like he is."

"Who leaves one family for another one Josh? I mean he has a daughter and a son with Carol. He had a son and a daughter with my Mother, I mean our Mother."

"Well, at least your Dad just left, I mean not that it was good but he's still alive. My mother died."

"Yeah, that must have been harder I guess." Drake shrugged. Their losses were both pretty painful.

"Yeah but what pisses me off is the drunk driver didn't die. My Mother died and he didn't, he barely had a scratch. The scary thing is that I was almost in that car." Josh trailed. He was so lucky that his mother was late to his recital so he drove home with his father that night.

"I didn't know it was an accident." Drake said as he looked at Josh.

"Yeah, I was 6 and I had my first school recital. It was a play about the food groups. The teacher made me the Ham." Josh laughed. It was impressive how much weight he'd lost over the last 4 years. Drake was impressed as he watched it happen. Josh had dropped nearly 100 lbs and he was starting to compete with Drake in the looks department, but Drake didn't have to worry much about Josh being better looking than he was. Josh was attractive in his own way.

"They made you the ham?" Drake laughed

"Yeah…it wasn't my best moment. At least I wasn't the watermelon or something like that."

"Now that would have been a sight to see."

"Shut up. I'm sure you had some embarrassing moment when you were a kid."

"Not that I can recall. But, Josh man how come you and Walter, I mean Dad weren't in the car?" Drake asked changing the subject back.

"She was late from work. She was coming to see if she could catch the tale end, but it had already been over for 20 minutes. Dad and I were on the way home and we passed the crash. Dad saw the car and knew it was Mom's. He stopped and told the police that it was his wife in that car. I only remember the lights swirling past; crying because I didn't know what was going on. Dad rode in the ambulance with Mom and the police took me to the hospital to meet up with them. My Mom was DOA and they'd tried everything they could but she needed blood." Josh stated solemnly. Sure Drake's Dad had cheated on his Mom but it was nothing compared to what had happened to Josh.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I mean if she hadn't died, my Dad would have never met your Mom and we'd never be here right now. We'd probably hate each other. You'd probably make fun of me and I'd have never ended up having all that I have right now." Josh smiled. "I'd never have an awesome brother like you."

"I'm sorry that I thought that I had it worse this whole time. I mean, I thought it was bad that my Father cheated on my Mother and I had to witness it. I'll never forget the day she found out that he was actually cheating on her. We came home from that Padre's game, her Megan and I. Dad had said that he wasn't feeling well and didn't want to go to the game. We came home a little early, after that fight that you and I had, and I guess he was expecting us later, or he just wanted it over with. Mom saw her car in our driveway and knew something was wrong. We came in through the garage and Mom told me to take Megan upstairs. We could hear them yelling, all three of them. Carol didn't say much but she left. Megan was crying and I told her to stay in my room. I went downstairs only to see Mom throwing all of Dad's things out the door at him. The height of it all was when she threw her hair dryer at him and he decided that he was leaving forever. I went to their wedding. I don't know why but I did. I'll never forget having to comfort Megan that night. It's not like she knew what was going on; she just didn't like the yelling or the tears." Drake recalled.

"Don't be sorry. What happened to us was hard in different ways. You had to deal with the fact that your father had left you guys for someone else. I had to deal with the fact that my mother had died."

"I'm just glad that everything's okay now. I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you in the beginning. I just didn't want a brother at the time. I was content being the only guy in my Mom's life."

"I just wanted a family." Josh said. "And I got one. Drake we're brothers now and I think we've come a long way from where we started. I'm just happy that we're friends now and I hope that we'll continue to be friends."

"As long as you're willing to keep in touch with me when you're off having fun and partying it up at Harvard." Drake laughed.

"I don't think I'll be partying too hard. I mean you won't be there to get me into situations."

"Oh, I think I've had a lasting effect on you. You'll be off studying hearing the party in the hallway and you're going to think, 'What would Drake do in this situation?' and of course the answer will be to go out there and party. Why? Because you only live once Josh, so I better get a call from you after you've had your first hangover and you've finally made it past 1st base with Mindy. And you better tell me what it was like living Drake Parker style." Drake said as he gave his brother a sideways glance.

"Only if you call me up first and tell me that you actually did something with the year you have off. You better tell me that you worked your ass off on that record and that you're planning on debuting it sometime soon and that you're planning to make your first music video and tour the country. Because Drake, I never want to hear you say you're not good at anything because I know that school isn't your thing, it'll never be, being a rock star is what you were destined to be. You weren't born with good looks and musical talent for nothing." Josh added as he gave his brother a smile.

"Deal?"

"It's a deal." Josh said. "Oh and the loser, who ever doesn't follow through with this has to dye his hair pink." Josh laughed recalling their bet. He never forgave Drake that he hadn't actually dyed it and had just worn a wig. "And no wigs this time."

"Fine, I'll tell Megan when I get back and she'll make a contract that we have to sign. And when you don't party your ass off I want a picture of your pink hair."

"It's not going to happen because I'll party."

"Alright. I can't wait to see this." Drake laughed. Josh partying was something he'd love to be around for. He'd love to see what kind of drunk Josh would make. He'd probably be a funny one. He'd probably let loose and start doing magic tricks or something.

"Hey look you can see the Manhattan skyline." Josh pointed out.

"This is going to be one hell of a night." Drake smiled as he stepped on the gas a little more.

"You really like her don't you?" Josh asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Taylor?"

"Yeah, I've never seen you treat a girl the way you treat her."

"Well…" Drake paused turning red.

"You really do like her. She's not going to end up like Lucy who you dumped because she was in fact tougher than you. She's not going to be like Tori, who you broke up with because she called you her boyfriend, then you got back together with her, but then you realized that you really didn't like her that much."

"Josh, trust me I'm not going to do that. She's the one. I mean I said Lucy was, and Tori was, and Susan was. Josh there's been a lot of girls that I thought were. I lot of girls I lied to and said they were, but I swear she is."

"She's the one you're going to say the…" Josh was interrupted by Drake shushing him.

"Don't, not yet. It needs to mean something."

"Drake, I'm glad you decided that this trip would be a good thing. I think it's changed you." Josh smiled he was sad to admit that this trip was coming to an end. Tomorrow he'd be outside the Harvard campus, Mindy by his side, them starting the next chapter of their lives together.

After entering the city Drake and Josh tried to find the Hostel they were going to stay in. Taylor was the one that had come up with the idea, they were short on cash and Hostels were cheaper than hotels. Drake eventually found it.

"Are we like in the Ghetto?" Josh asked as he looked around.

"I think so, hey are you sure we can park on the street without like having this car stolen or vandalized?" Drake asked as the look of worry filled his face. "I do not want another incident with the police."

"I'm sure it's fine. There are no signs around at all."

"Well then let's check in, take a shower and hit Times Square." Drake suggested with a smirk on his face.

"That's never a good smile." Josh laughed. "That's a smile that means evil."

"Is there any other reason?"

"Hey, you know what I just realized." Josh stated as he opened his door.

"What?" Drake asked.

"TRL goes live in like a little over an hour."

"So…"

"I wonder if you could play again."

"I doubt it. We can just chill outside the studio. Plus, there are way cooler places to check out besides MTV. Hell, the Virgin records store is like right there and I'm thinking I need a new potato launcher…Toy's R Us is right there too."

"Please, not another potato launcher. That just brings back bad, bad, memories."

"Oh come on. I broke my arm that day too. We were as you said 'cast buddies'." Drake recalled as he gently woke Taylor up.

"When did we get to New York?" She mumbled as she sat up.

"Like 5 minutes ago. Quick we want to spend as much time in Times Square as we can." Drake said as he pulled his duffle out of the car.

They checked into the Hostel, they were on the third floor all three of them sharing a room with two bunk beds. They had a view of the patio and the balcony where a group of French kids were outside smoking and drinking.

"I get top bunk." Drake called as he threw his bag up to the top.

Josh unpacked his things neatly and grabbed his bathroom bag and towel. He grabbed a pair of dark jeans and a tee-shirt.

"I'm taking a shower." He stated though he knew he didn't need too.

"I'll be in there in like 5 minutes Josh, make sure you save a shower for me because I'll need to borrow your stuff." Drake added as Josh left the room.

"You two seem to have made up finally." Taylor stated as she sat down on the window ledge.

"Yeah. He's a good kid." Drake said as he grabbed a tee-shirt out of his bag and smelled it. "God, this stinks…Is there a washer here?" Drake asked as he threw the shirt on the ground.

"Yeah we passed it coming to our room."

"Remind me that I should do a load before we leave tomorrow."

"You should do a load before we leave tomorrow." Taylor got up off the ledge and walked over and put her arms around Drake's shoulders.

"That wasn't funny."

"Oh come on. What's bugging you?" She asked hoping to find out what had happened between him and his biological father. She knew it wasn't her place but she wanted to know.

"Nothing."

"I know it has to do with what happened today."

"I know you know. You'll find out soon enough. We've got another whole week or longer together. But since we're kind of low on money I'm thinking I just want to go home."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"I've been meaning to ask you what you plan on doing. Are you planning on coming back to San Diego with me? Or are you planning on getting off somewhere?" Drake questioned. He knew what he wanted her to say. He wanted her to say that she was coming back to San Diego with him.

"I don't know." She said letting go of her embrace and sitting on the bed. "I've been thinking about that too." She sighed as she felt him sit down next to her.

"Well the offer's open if you want to come to San Diego with me. I'm sure it'd be okay with my Mom…" Drake trailed as he remembered he needed to call his mother and tell her that they were almost near Harvard.

He took his cell out of his pocket hoping that the batteries weren't dead. They weren't and amazingly enough he got service in the building. He called his house but only got the answering machine. He left a message but tried his mom's cell anyway. He got her voice mail and left a message knowing that she'd get one or the other.

"What was that all about?" Taylor asked.

"Called my mom. I forgot that I was supposed to call her when we reached Pennsylvania."

"About your question before…" she started as she stood up. He got up too. "I know I don't want to go back to Arizona. I mean, I like you Drake. I would love to go back to San Diego with you but…"

"But what?"

"But common sense tells me that I should go back home. I mean my Dad is probably worried sick. I left a note but…Drake…"

"What?"

"Drake…I really do like you and this has been such an amazing trip, but what happens if it doesn't work out. I mean what happens if we don't work out? What am I supposed to do then? Roam the streets of Southern California?" She ranted but stopped when she felt his hands around her.

"I can't reassure you that it will work out. But I really like you too. Let's not listen to what better reason tells us to do. Let's just do what we feel like doing. This whole trip has been a just do what we feel like doing kind of trip. I mean Josh didn't get us kicked out of the Pentagon and I didn't get us kicked out of the Hershey Factory for doing what was right. You didn't just decide to join us because it was right to do." Drake smiled as he pulled her into a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"You're right. And you should really go take a shower because you reek. I don't know if it's because of the fact that you haven't washed any of your clothes or because you were in a hot car all day."

"Hey, it's probably because I haven't washed this shirt in like a week." Drake laughed as he grabbed the best smelling shirt out of his duffel. "I'll be back soon, and you might consider taking a shower yourself." He added as he walked towards the door.

"Drake…"

"Yeah?" he stopped as he was about to open the door.

"Thanks."

"No problem." He said as he walked out into the hallway.

He walked into the bathroom and found Josh shaving something that Drake realized he needed to do, badly.

"Hey your stuff in the shower?" Drake asked as he walked towards the stalls.

"Yeah it's in that one."

"Thanks."

Drake turned on the shower and began to take off his clothes. Taylor was right, they were starting to smell. He couldn't wait to get back home. He no longer cared about seeing the rest of the country. He was going to go on the computer before they left and print out directions to get back home, the fastest way possible.

"Hey Josh…" Drake began as he stepped into the shower.

"Yeah?" Josh questioned as he started brushing his teeth.

"Are we the only ones in here?"

"Yeah." Josh mumbled.

"Thanks."

Drake was one to always sing in the shower. According to him it was the only place with the best acoustics besides those really, really nice recording studios. Drake started singing…

_I'm tired of all your excuses_

_I'm tired of all your lies_

_Your filthy schemes and abuses_

_Well I've finally grown wise_

_Got tired of chasing it down_

_Maybe it's better that I'm not around_

_And I'm on a highway to nowhere _

_Trying to get high without you_

_And I don't know why it took me so long to_

_Wind up back in nowhere with you_

Josh smiled as he heard his brother singing. It'd been awhile since he heard Drake play his guitar or sing. Josh smiled because he knew the song was the one that got him the gig on TRL. This was one of Josh's favorites. He like the duel meaning in it, the connection towards his Father and girls that he'd found himself dating more than once just because he was Drake Parker and knew he could.

_It's time for a little pay back_

_It's time for a little respect_

_You can just rewind and playback_

_All of the shit that you wrecked_

_And I'm on a highway to nowhere_

_Trying to get high without you_

_And I don't know why it took me so long to_

_Wind up back in nowhere with you_

"Drake the rest of my stuff is under your door." Josh stated as he slid his bag under the stall door.

"Thanks bro."

"No problem. Just hurry it up. I know you can take a long time to get ready."

Drake laughed it was true. He took as long as some girls do to get dressed and out the door. He dried his hair and pulled on his clothes. What he would give to just sleep in his bed again. He knew that going back home would be different.

He opened the door to hear two French boys talking about what he assumed were girls of some sort. He did hear, _Oui elle était très joli, _followed by a, _Je sais, mais tu vu la blonde ? __Elle était très coquet n'est pas? _Drake had been surprised to find out that he knew French, or at least parts of it. That was probably due to Monique, the French girl he dated. He realized that he could actually speak it when he and Josh decided to pull the Alien joke on Megan and he spoke French instead of Alien. Just hearing them speak French for some odd reason made him want to pretend that he was.

"Bonjour." Drake said as he smiled at the confused look on the kids faces.

"Tu parles francais?" The very thin brunette next to him said with a confused look on his face.

"Non." Drake smiled as the boys went back to what it was they were doing before. He left the bathroom and found Josh in the room, Taylor nowhere to be found.

"She's in the shower just so you know." Josh stated as he pulled out a map of New York City. "I don't really feel like doing anything." Josh sighed as he looked at the map.

"I don't really either. I just kind of want to sleep." Drake yawned as he stretched out on the bed.

"I mean I'm almost one hundred percent positive that I'll be back here someday."

"Me too, L.A. is so much better. There's more glitz and more glamour."

"You're right."

Both boys sat there in silence not wanting to do anything but enjoy the time they had left with each other. The hustle and bustle of Times Square was something that they didn't feel was necessary at the moment. Drake was snoring before Josh could ask him if he was going to take Taylor back home with him or not. Josh had forgotten that she didn't start the trip with them. She was just kind of like an older version of Megan, well except for the fact that she and Drake were a couple now. He'd forgotten what had started this trip on a sour note and what had changed it, the car breaking down in the middle of the Nevada dessert. Though Josh wasn't one to muddle in Drakes love life, he hoped that he and Taylor stuck it out for at least a year or two. They were good for each other; well more or less she was good for him.

Josh folded the map of New York City and gathered his, Drake's and Taylor's dirty laundry. Josh smiled he'd be at Harvard tomorrow moving into his freshman dorm, Mindy by his side.

* * *

A/N: Okay so I felt that this chapter was kind of lame...but that's just me and it did take me like over a month to write. Only because I got stuck so many times and I didn't feel like writing them taking a trip into NYC it just didn't work for me. And don't expect anything soon. I'm going to L.A. and San Francisco next week and then I only have THREE DAYS to make up all the work before Finals...it sucks majorly. I'm only going to look at colleges though. But then, then, it's summer VACATION! And I fully plan on finishing this story and Broken Innocense and another little like 5 chapter story I've been working on.

Peace Out Morgan.


	13. Goodbye is always harder than Hello

Chapter 13

Saying goodbye is always harder than saying Hello

Drake woke up early that morning just a little sad that they decided to skip Times Square, but he was tired and he just wanted to crash in his own bed back in San Diego.

He wasn't in the least surprised to find that Josh wasn't in bed. He was probably doing his laundry while he could. He'd be at Harvard later on tonight.

Drake folded his clothes that were now in a clean pile at the foot of the bed. He packed his bag leaving out clothes for today.

He sighed as he opened the door to see Josh walking in with a clean load of laundry.

"Hey."

"Hey."

They said in a solemn tone as Drake left the room. They both knew what was going to happen today, they both didn't want to make nice. They both wanted to punch the other or something like that. They both knew that it was easier to say goodbye to someone you were pissed at. But they both knew better. It was also harder later on when all you wanted to do was take back everything you ever said to that person when you knew you couldn't. They figured that keeping words to a minimum would keep things simple.

Drake sat on the balcony of the Hostel. The August sun shining down on him, he knew that if it was this warm this early in the morning that it'd only get warmer in the city as the day wore on. He had no idea how long he'd been there when Josh came out to tell them that it was about time they should head out.

Drake nodded and walked silently towards the elevator. Once in the elevator all there was was the sound of their breathing and the clunking of the old machine.

They piled into the car and Drake started the journey towards Harvard. A three hour drive and they'd be there. Three hours was all he really had left with his step-brother. Correct that, his brother. And those three hours would pass in a somber silence because neither of them could muster anything to say.

**Harvard**

Drake parked the car in the visitor parking. Josh looked up at the old brick campus and let a smile fall across his face. His whole life he'd spent wishing to come here, and here he was now. He was "home".

Drake got out of the car not offering to help Josh with anything or walk with him to his dorm.

Drake walked into the admissions office and asked the girl at the desk for a piece of paper and a pen. She gladly gave them to him and he left for the bathroom that he passed on his way towards the office.

He locked himself in the stall the furthest away and thought for a few minutes then began to write.

He emerged from the bathroom 20 minutes later and figured he should go find his parents and Josh.

_Meanwhile…_

"Josh, sweetie it's so good to see you!" Audrey exclaimed as she hugged Josh. "Where's Drake?" She questioned as she realized her biological son was no where in sight. "Is he okay, Josh tell me he's okay?" Audrey said frantic.

"Mom he's in the bathroom." Josh laughed. "It's good to see you too."

"And who's this?" Audrey asked as she noticed Taylor.

"Well, Drake should be here for this introduction but this is his girlfriend, Taylor." Josh introduced her to his mother.

"Taylor this is my Mother Audrey Parker." Josh beamed.

"Taylor it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you to."

"Josh!" A female voice exclaimed as Mindy ran over to her boyfriend. "I haven't seen you for the longest time." She said as she hugged and kissed him.

"I agree." Josh said.

"And who's this?" Mindy asked as she saw Taylor standing awkwardly next to Josh.

"Mindy this is Taylor Drake's girlfriend." Josh introduced Taylor to his girlfriend. "Taylor, this is Mindy."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Josh has told me so much about you." Taylor said as she shook Mindy's hand.

"Let's go check out our dorms." Josh said to Mindy as Walter, Taylor, and the two of them lugged their belongings to the co-ed dorm that they were both lucky enough to be staying in.

"I'll wait here for Drake." Audrey said as she sat down on a bench that wasn't too far away.

"Mom, where'd everyone go?" Drake questioned as he stood next to the bench his mom was sitting on.

"To help them move into their dorms." Audrey said as she stood up and hugged her son. "You have no idea how much I've missed you two." Audrey smiled as she kissed his forehead.

"You have no idea how much I've missed home." Drake smiled as they headed towards the dorms.

"Taylor seems like a nice girl. Where'd you meet her?" Audrey asked.

"Nevada. The car broke down in the middle of the desert and I walked to the nearest tow station and met her there. She's been on the whole trip with us." Drake explained as he recalled all the fighting he and his brother had done the whole trip.

"Let me guess, she'll be staying with us." Audrey said as she noted Drakes characteristic I'm-up-to-no-good smile.

"Yeah, oh and Mom."

"What?"

"I met Dad and his family on this trip. He's got a four year old son Kevin."

"He called me after you had left."

"Oh, well I don't blame you for telling me he was a jack ass all these years. Because I had to learn the hard way that he is." Drake said as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

They arrived at the dorm. It was separated by gender by floor. Josh was on the top and Mindy was on the one right below him. It was completely coincidental that they shared the same dorm building.

Drake sat on the desk as Josh unpacked his 'Golden Dork Award' for perfect attendance since pre-school. Drake smiled at the time he forced Josh to skip school to spy on their Dad because they thought that he was cheating on Mom.

Drake threw the letter that he had written to Josh in the bathroom on the desk. Josh stared at it for a few seconds before asking what it was.

"Open it and you'll see." Drake smiled as Josh began to read the letter out loud as he would when Mindy would write him e-mails or any other letter.

_Josh, My Brother from another Mother, _Josh began.

_Josh, what can I say that hasn't already been said before? We've come so far in these past four years that it's kind of scary where we are now. For two boobs that hated each other we had our work cut out. You annoyed me with your well, you know. And I was nothing but an annoyance to you. But somehow in that first year with you getting beat up for me with the whole Tiffany thing and me helping you not have to wear a dress to become Miss Nancy, because we both know that you in a dress is not an attractive thing. _

_But sharing a room with you for four years has been fun, to say the least. We've hidden a sheep for Megan, a sheep that gave birth on **my **__bed. We've plotted schemes to get back at Megan, the only one that ever worked she turned around on us and scared us half to death. I've never run that fast in my life and I know you've never run that fast in yours. All I can say is that you'd never be back together with Mindy if it weren't for me and that I'd have never passed Algebra II if it weren't for you or survived Remedial English either, oh and how can I forget you saved me from getting suspended, well Megan did but…we don't need to go there._

_I'm going to miss having our bets, nothing beats the chocolate pool though, renting the house out and explaining to Mom and Dad about that too. I'll miss your snoring and I know you'll miss my muttering. Promise me you won't grow another moustache because they make you look stupid and I'll try to say South America right the next time I see it. _

_Good luck at Harvard and call me because I'll have nothing better to do back home besides what I normally do, eat, party, play guitar, and date hot girls…which I don't think I'll be doing much of._

_Drake_

After reading the letter Josh just looked at his brother, they were no longer step-brothers because step-brothers have a tendency to not like each other. Both of them liked each other.

"Drake…I…" Josh stuttered as he placed the letter down on the desk.

"Just don't say anything I know it was pretty sappy for a Drake Parker original." He laughed as he jumped off the desk.

"Did you mean all of that?" Josh asked.

"If I didn't would I have written it?"

"No…"

"Hug me brother?" Drake asked as he opened his arms for a hug.

"Sure thing brother!" Josh exclaimed as the two hugged quickly.

"I'm going to head home you be safe with Mindy alright, always use protection." Drake laughed as he headed towards the door when he felt the pencil hit him. "Hey remember your promise, things can get out of control when you party." Drake reminded his brother as he stood in the door way.

"Remember yours too." Josh added as Drake headed down the hall, tons of college girls checking him out as he walked towards Taylor.

"Mom, I think I'm going to start home. I just want to get back there." Drake said as his mother brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Sure, you say goodbye to your brother?" She asked.

"Yeah. I did. Come on Taylor let's go." He said as he took her hand as they walked towards the car.

"You miss him already don't you?" She asked.

"Yeah." Drake sighed as he turned on the ignition. "I miss him already."

* * *

A/N: Okay so another chapter that I hated writing. I know where I want to go with this story and I know that quite a few of you will be kind of dissapointed...but I think I know what I'm doing. Maybe not, maybe I won't do what I think I might do. Anyway It's summer vacation and I just got back from California and let me tell you...I went to the school where they film Zoey 101 and all I could think of was...Drake Bell was here! Okay so there was chapter 13.

-Morgan


	14. Life comes at you fast and unexpectedly

Chapter 14

Life comes at you fast, unexpectedly, and sometimes you cry

Almost 6 Months later

Drake without much of a fight from Taylor was back home in sunny San Diego in less than a week of when he left Harvard. Here it was six months later and still no call from Josh telling Drake how he'd partied his ass off.

Drake on the other hand had held up his bargain. He'd spent the first few weeks making a demo of songs to give Sunset Records because he'd never actually used that record deal to his advantage after the whole MTV thing.

He sent in the demo tape and he already had an album out and teen girls around the country were buying it. Not enough girls to push his CD to the tops of the charts or anything or to allow him to gain superstar status but at least he had a following. His concerts at the San Diego fairgrounds played out well and so did his little stunt at a private school's 'Spring Fling'.

The day his CD debuted he called Josh and told him the good news. All he got was 'Yeah Drake sorry I haven't held up my end of the bargain but pre-med is a bitch.' And here it was once again a lonely December and Josh was due home for winter break any day now.

Drake rolled over to find an empty spot in his bed. Sure he told his mom that Taylor would be sleeping in Josh's bed and he assured her that under her roof he wouldn't have sex, but then he proceeded to tell her that he was 19 and was legal to do whatever he wanted anywhere else, as long as it wasn't illegal.

He looked at the alarm clock it blinked 11:23. She was probably just getting home from her job at Starbucks. He hated the fact that she actually had to work while he just went to the recording studio and played his guitar for a few hours with his band as the wrote the skeletons to what would one day be Chart Toppers. She was paying for community college in San Diego and she was working from 5-11 every night in order to pay for tuition along with his help just a little bit.

He heard the shower turn off and saw her silhouette enter the room. He faked sleep just so he wouldn't have to talk to her. She slept in Josh's bed for the rest of that night. Drake heard her get dressed and crawl under the covers, but not without a despondent sigh. Drake knew this relationship wasn't working out. Just like all the others, maybe he wasn't destined to find the right girl, maybe the right girl wasn't out there, and maybe he was destined to fuck every single girl that threw themselves at him. Maybe he was supposed to be a true rock star and not find love until he was 60 something fucking a 20 something. He suppressed the thought it was the Christmas season after all.

Josh arrived in San Diego at 4:00 pacific time minus Mindy whom he'd dropped off at her house earlier. His parents were waiting up for him despite the early time and he didn't expect either Drake or Megan to be there to great him because he knew that the Parker children liked three things, their privacy, their junk food, and their sleep. He walked up to the guest room because his mom informed him that Taylor had taken his bed. Josh didn't mind a bed at this point was a bed.

Drake woke up to the smell of bacon and the sound of his mother making pancakes downstairs. He knew that Josh was home because she wouldn't do that for the hell of it. He walked downstairs and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Mom can I talk to you?" Drake asked as he sat down at the small kitchen table that they never really ate at.

"Sure thing sweetie you can talk to me about anything." Audrey said as she sat down across from him.

"What would you do if you knew a relationship wasn't working out? I mean what if you knew that nothing you tried would make it work? What if you knew that every day you were together you were getting further apart?" Drake asked as he watched the crème in the coffee swirl.

"Well…" Audrey began recalling the failing beginnings of her marriage to Michael Parker. "I'd end it sooner rather than later because the worse it gets the harder it is to end it and the more painful it is." She stated truthfully. She knew Drake was talking about his and Taylor's relationship which she had noticed was going down the drain quickly. They had different goals in life. Drake wanted fame and fortune, he was a rock star and she was working her way up the ladder. He was already close to where he wanted to be, she was on the start to where she wanted to.

"Drake…" She began but he knew exactly what she was going to say.

"We're in different places Mom. Maybe if we had met later on in life things would have been different. If I was already where I wanted to be and she was already where she wanted to be." Drake sighed. "It's just that I really do like her but this just doesn't feel right anymore. I honestly have no idea what to do."

"I think you know what you need to do. Trust your gut. If it was meant to work out than it will. Life happens Drake and you can go and question it. Everything will work out in the end and if you and Taylor were meant to be then you'll see in time." Audrey said as Josh walked into the kitchen. "Just think about it, you'll figure it out." Audrey added as she patted Drakes shoulder. He smiled as he finished the coffee.

"Morning Drake." Josh said as he entered the kitchen and sat down next to his brother.

"Morning. Was Taylor up when you got up?" Drake asked knowing her classes started at nine and here it was 8:00.

"Yea, she was getting dressed I think." Josh said as he took a bite of the pancakes his mom had made for him.

Taylor walked downstairs a few minutes later wearing a pair of Drakes pants, a tank top, and a track jacket, a messenger bag slung across her shoulder.

"Hey, I'm going to get breakfast near campus we have a study session today at 8:30." She said as she walked into the kitchen and poured herself a thermos of coffee. "Drake I'm not working tonight so I figured we could go out after class, my treat." She added as she rubbed his shoulder.

"Sure." Drake said as he placed his hand on hers.

Josh wasn't sure that they were the same couple that they had been before. It seemed to him as though they'd been married 50 something years and were past the whole passionate I love yous and were no longer sharing the same bed and all they had to go off of was little signs here and there that they still cared about each other.

She left for school without so much as a little kiss goodbye. Drake left the table and proceeded to get dressed in his room. He was in the middle of applying deodorant when Josh came in.

"Man it feels like years since I've been in here." Josh said as he sat down on the couch.

"Yeah."

"What's up with you these days?" Josh asked as Drake grabbed a can of Mocha Cola and sat down next to him.

"Nothing or everything. I don't know Josh. I really don't know." Drake sighed as he took a sip from the soda can.

"You're going to break up with her aren't you?"

"I don't know. We're in two fucking different places. I've done what I've always wanted to do Josh. I have a record that's selling, given its not number one but my shows sell out, even if they're small. I have a fan base Josh I can't go out in public without having some teenage girl laugh, giggle, then hide when I turn around or without someone asking for my autograph. She's still in school working to pay her tuition because her father's a jack ass and won't help pay because she ran away. Sure I've helped and Mom and Dad have helped but she insists that she needs to do this on her own. Maybe if we had meet years down the road then none of this would be happening. Josh it just doesn't feel right anymore." Drake explained as he crushed the now empty can in his fist.

"Drake…" Josh began but was cut off by Drake.

"Josh you know that I love this girl, I know it too. But I'm still not sure if she's the one. Mom said that everything is meant to work out. I believe that too. We've all got this path we're all going to die, we are all going to experience milestones, and it's how we get there. I've got a choice Josh I either hold out on this relationship while both of us suffer or I break it off now and hope that we can still manage to be friends and maybe someday if we are meant to be together we will be."

Josh sat there in silence digesting all this information.

"While we're opening up to each other…" Josh began as he thought long and hard about what he was going to say.

"Yeah, say what you want Josh. It's been awhile since we've seen each other. Oh and before I forget." Drake said seriously as he looked at Josh. "I've held up my end of our bargain and you haven't yet."

"That's where I was going." Josh smiled. He'd partied alright, he'd gotten drunk and so had Mindy. It was like nerds gone wild or something. The whole literary club had gotten one of the older members to buy kegs of beer while they partied at his house while his parents were gone. "I totally got wasted at a party, sure it was a nerd party but there were jocks and preps and all the others there." Josh stated.

"Oh really? Josh got drunk? I find that really, really, impressive actually." Drake laughed cracking the first smile in what felt like years.

"Mindy did too and well Drake." Josh said turning serious.

"And…" Drake trailed while motioning that he wanted to know more.

"And we kind of um…" Josh said turning red.

"And you two fucked didn't you." Drake smiled as he congratulated his brother.

"Drake I knew there was a reason why I wasn't supposed to have sex with a girl." Josh began.

"Wait…Josh don't go there. I don't want to know about your "guy issues"." Drake said disgusted as he got up off the couch.

"No, I mean I have no "guy issues", it's just that bad things always happen to me. You know that. And well…" Josh said standing up too.

"Oh God, no, she isn't, you mean…" Drake trailed as he knew exactly what Josh was going to say.

"Yeah…She is."

"She keeping it?" Drake asked. Mindy Crenshaw, future lawyer, pregnant in college.

"I don't know. If she does it will totally ruin both of our careers."

"How long ago?"

"It was a holiday party so about a few weeks."

"I can't believe you got a girl knocked up before I did." Drake said stunned.

"This is no time for things like that." Josh yelled as he hit Drake with a pillow from the couch.

"Okay, okay, sorry." Drake apologized as he pushed the pillow out of Josh's way. "But I honestly don't know how to help you. Talk to mom, she's pretty good at helping with that kind of stuff." Drake suggested.

"I can't. What happens if she tells the Crenshaw's?"

"Good point." Drake said as Mindy knocked on the doorway.

"Mindy!" Josh exclaimed as he ran over to his girlfriend.

"I'll let you two talk." Drake said as he made his way towards the door.

"Hey Drake." Mindy said softly. She knew that he knew. Josh would tell his brother anything and everything.

"Mindy." Drake added as he left the room and walked downstairs. "Mom I'm going out."

"Okay just be back for dinner, it is Christmas Eve after all." She called after her son.

"Promise I will be."

It was a little chilly for San Diego today. Slight overcast and the mercury had just barely made it past 60. Drake pulled the beanie out of his car and put it on. He drove to the record store where he had bought every single cd/album/music device that he ever owned at. He parked and walked inside.

"Drake long time no see." The manager Gary said as Drake walked in.

"Hey Gar, I know it's been awhile." Drake said as he walked straight towards the classic rock section. He was a little shocked to see someone already there, let alone a girl.

She was exactly the girl that he would date. About 5'4'', blonde hair, and a pretty nice figure, though she was wearing pants so he couldn't really tell. She was checking out Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, she didn't hear him come up next to her.

"This is actually way better." Drake said handing her a copy of the Beatles Abbey Road.

She jumped when he spoke she didn't know anyone had been watching her.

"Th-thanks." She muttered as she took the CD. "You sure this is better? I'm not much of a Beatles fan."

"You will be after that CD." Drake smiled as he picked up a copy of REO Speedwagons greatest hits. Out of all the classic rock, balladesque bands, he'd never actually listened to much REO but he figured it was worth a shot. They were grouped on Rock's 100 top artists.

"My mom loves REO Speedwagon." The girl said as she took note of the CD in his hand.

"You ever listen to them?"

"I've heard a few songs, they're not that bad. My friend Phil is always telling me to check out Ridin' The Storm Out." She added as she turned to leave. "Thanks for the CD advice."

"No problem…" he paused as he hinted that he wanted her name.

"Lillah. Good luck with REO…" She said as she indicated that she wanted his name too.

"Drake."

"Drake, I've never heard that name before." She said as she digested it. "Nice name."

He blushed he got that all the time from girls. He even once was mobbed by a girl so obsessed with Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter because his name was so close to it.

"Thanks, it was my mom's idea, she read it in a book or something." Drake explained as she walked on. "Oh Lillah…"

"Yeah?"

"You can tell your friend Phil that I listened to Ridin' The Storm Out."

"Okay I will." She said as she walked on. "Hey." She said as she turned around and walked back towards him. "You doing anything?" She asked.

"No, not really."

"You want to go get a bite to eat or something?"

"Sure there's a Starbucks across the street. I've just got to be back home at 4." Drake said as he remembered his date with Taylor tonight. _Taylor…_he thought. _'What's wrong with a harmless bite to eat?'_

"Sounds like a plan." She said as they both walked towards the counter.

Drake bought her CD for her because he was nice like that. She told him that he didn't have to but he told her that he didn't mind at all and that it was no inconvenience for him. She obliged and offered to pay for lunch. He accepted knowing that it would make her feel less guilty about the CD.

"So let me get this straight you have a CD out now and your concerts actually sell out?" Lillah asked stunned that she hadn't heard about him somewhere.

"Yep." Drake smiled as he picked at the carrot cake muffin he'd ordered.

"No way. How come I haven't heard of you then?"

"Well maybe because you never put a face to the name or a name to the song. Or a name to the face to the name of the song that you heard once and sing occasionally, but can't get out of your head." Drake said as she laughed.

"Sing something and I'll tell you if I've heard it."

"You can't just make someone sing on the spot. Why don't you Google Drake Parker and see what comes up." Drake suggested. Something about this whole 'date', if they were calling lunch together that, felt right to him.

"Why have you Googled yourself?" She asked as she took a sip of her chai latte.

"Yes and it's pretty scary. People have pictures of me, on websites that they have made dedicated to me, of when I was a baby. I have no idea where people get these things. They know my favorite color is orange."

"Well is it?"

"Is what?"

"Is orange your favorite color?"

"Yes, that's the scary part. And the pictures are actually of me when I was little."

"Creepy."

"Very."

They sat there in silence picking at the rest of their food. Lillah excused herself to use the bathroom, a girl's sign that she wants to leave soon. She came back and Drake asked if he could take her home. She said she'd love a ride home.

He drove down her road.

"The next house on the left." She said as he pulled up to a blue cape. "Thanks for the ride Drake." She said as she reached for the door.

"No problem. It was nice to meet you." He said as they sat there in silence for a few moments neither knowing what was appropriate to do. Him not knowingthat if he was going to break up with Taylor, then was kissing another girl before that wrong. Her not knowing because she didn't know if this was a date or not. Was he being friendly or was he genuinely interested in her?

"Here." She said after a few minutes. "Give me your hand."

He gave her his hand and she took the pen he kept on the dashboard and wrote her phone number on it. "Call me sometime." He looked at the phone number in his hand wondering if this was really happening "Okay?" She said as she started to get out of the car.

"I'll walk you to the door."

"You don't have to." She said because she didn't want him to feel like he had to.

"No, no, it's okay." He said getting out of the car and walking towards the passenger side. Drake Parker walking a girl to her door was a pretty big deal.

"You really don't have to do this Drake." She implored as she closed the door.

"It's honestly fine with me. I don't mind walking you." He stated once again as they began to walk.

Standing outside her parent's door under the small overhang was reminiscent of the days when he was back in High School dating another girl what seemed like every day. Maybe he was regressing from the few months spent with Taylor, because the 'new' Drake wouldn't think twice about cheating on Taylor, but this was the 'old' Drake. And he didn't care about cheating. Plus a kiss wasn't really cheating was it? He was going to end things with Taylor wasn't he?

The kiss came suddenly as the overcast skies opened up and a light rain began to fall. He couldn't resist temptation, she was so warm and inviting looking, hersapphire blue eyes starring into his, her hands in his. It was all too cliché, all too perfect. He leaned in as he usually did and he pressed his lips against hers. Pulling her body closer to feel the warmth reigniting the passion in him that had frozen months ago when kisses from Taylor felt the same, when her body against his was too normal, too expected. He let his tongue slip into her mouth with a little force but not enough to make her draw back. He stopped and placed his forehead against hers. She kept her eyes closed and wrapped her fingers around his.

"I'll call you okay?" He whispered as he kissed her quickly before placing a hand on her shoulder and walking down the pathway. She watched as he reached his car, then she opened the door and walked inside.

He opened his car door and sat there for a few moments with the key dangling in the ignition.

"Fuck…" He breathed as he turned the ignition. "Fuck."

**Later**

Drake got home thankfully before Taylor did. He quickly wrote the phone number down in his black book. And made sure all the pen was off his hand before he showered and dressed nicer for his dinner date with Taylor. He hated that he had to do this Christmas Eve.

Josh walked into their room with anxiety written all over his face.

"You figure out what you're doing yet?" Drake asked his brother who sat down next to him on the couch.

"Yeah, well I talked to Mom who told me to talk to Mindy, which I told her I already had. And well, Mr. and Mrs. Crenshaw didn't take it that well; Mindy said she doesn't care what her parents think. Mom said that if I asked you you'd help take care of the baby if we kept it. So we decided that I'd transfer to UCLA in the fall or something like that and she'd transfer to UCSD and change her major to become a writer." Josh explained as he started to cry.

"Josh if it makes you feel better I'd love to help you guys. I mean Mindy isn't such a bad person after all, sure what she did was but, I'm over that." Drake comforted his brother.

"You'd do that for me?" Josh asked as Drake nodded.

"Brothers help brothers, and while we're at it…" Drake began. "What does it mean when you kiss another girl you've just met and it means so much more to you than what you already have does?"

"Well…" Josh began. "It means that it's a sign that you're doing the right thing."

"You think so? I mean I didn't mean to meet her at the record store but there she was checking out a Pink Floyd Cd and I had to tell her that Abbey Road was better."

"Yeah Drake, I think it's a sign. It's not a coincidence you were thinking about ending things with Taylor and something like that happens." Josh said quietly. He didn't want to see Taylor go but he also didn't want his brother to be unhappy. He just felt guilty about having her on the whole trip with them. If he had known that this was going to happen later on he never would have let Drake invite her. But that's the thing about life, things happen unexpectedly and people get hurt in the process. It's all about learning.

"Thanks Josh." Drake said as he headed downstairs. Taylor was going to be home soon and he wanted to get home for the annual Christmas Eve traditions in the Parker Nichols household which was to watch _It's a Wonderful Life_, eat Christmas cookies that his Mom would make, Sing a few carols, hang up the stockings, and leave a plate of cookies out for Santa. It was always the simple things like that that Drake looked forward too during the holidays. Sure presents were always first on his mind, it was the moments when Megan cried because she thought that Santa would get burned coming down the chimney the only year they ever had a fire, or the time when he got his first bike and rode it around the house even though his mom told him not to, that Drake would always remember.

Taylor walked through the door and threw her bag down on the ground.

"Drake, I'm going to go change and then we'll go okay?" She said as she ran upstairs. He sat back down on the couch and placed his hands on his knees and sighed.

"She's a strong girl, she'll understand." Audrey said as she rubbed his back.

"I hope so mom because I know this is right." Drake breathed.

"Life comes at you fast, unexpected, and sometimes you cry." She whispered in his ear. "Sometimes you laugh, sometimes it's hard and you're left picking up the pieces of a broken heart, sometimes it's a family, and sometimes it's a mistake that you knew you shouldn't have made because the answer was staring you right in the face."

Drake digested the information.

"I love you Mom."

"I know you do. Just do it gently baby." She whispered as she rubbed his back.

"I know."

Taylor stood in the doorway waiting for Drake to get his jacket.

"I have reservations at Shaun's." Taylor said as they walked towards the car.

"I'll drive." Drake said as he got into his car.

"Thanks, I've driven all day it seems like."

That was the last thing that either said to the other the whole car ride. Drake couldn't get the kiss with Lillah out of his head and the sound of the windshield wipers and the tires going through the rain on the road wouldn't stop reminding him of it either. Their whole relationship was now awkward silences and empty kisses. He hadn't felt sparks since the night they spent at the Grand Canyon on their way back home, that was until that damn kiss with Lillah.

He parked outside Shaun's and they waited for their seat, a quiet little booth near a coy pond.

Drake barely touched his food because he couldn't find the right way of telling Taylor that this wasn't working out.

"Tay...Drake...lor" They both said the others name at the same time.

"You go first." They both said again.

"You go first Drake." Taylor said as she took a sip of her sprite.

"Taylor…" He began wording what he was about to say gently. "We're both at different places in our life, and there is no easy way to say this…but…" He was interrupted by her.

"I know. I feel the same way." She said as she placed her hand on his. "You've gotten where you've wanted to be and I'm still working on it. Drake I've felt our relationship turn to ash. Nothing feels like it used to before we came here."

"I agree."

"Remember back in New York when you asked me if I wanted to go with you and we realized that acting on what felt right was better than common sense? Well it was Drake and I regret nothing being with you. You changed me Drake and I know that I've changed you." She trailed losing sight of the topic she'd wanted to cover.

"I know, you have changed me Taylor. And I'm sorry, I never could reassure that day that it would work out. And I never make promises because life comes at you fast and unexpected and there is never time for promises…" Drake trailed he too had lost track of his words.

"If we were meant to be Drake we'll find out soon enough. I'm moving in with a friend from school. We're splitting the rent and I'll be close if you still want to keep in touch."

"Are you spending the night at my house?" Drake asked as the waiter cleared his plate.

"No, all my stuff is in my car. It's better if we just get this out of the way." She said as she placed the money into the leather case. "It's best we get going."

"Yeah."

They both stood up and walked silently next to each other to the car. They got in and sat there for a few moments.

"Taylor…"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being the person that I knew you were."

"Yeah…"

"I still love you somehow."

"Yeah…"

"I can't explain it though."

"I know what it's like because I still love you."

"We need time."

"Yeah."

"You know my number."

"I know."

"Don't forget that you can call me anytime."

"I won't."

With that he started the car and he drove her home in silence. The kiss still replayed over and over in his mind like a movie that wouldn't stop, but it wasn't a bad movie, no this was the movie that he wanted to play.

He pulled the car into the driveway and walked her to her car. The rain soaking both of them.

"This might be goodbye." She whispered as she opened her car door.

"But if it's not…"

"Just go as if it is."

Drake hugged her and he knew that he'd miss aspects of her but this was the way it had to be. She had to go on and find herself. She didn't need the weight of a broken relationship weighing her down. He didn't need it either, he'd established a small name for himself and he need to embellish on it. She needed to make that name.

"I love you." He said once more testing it out seeing if it still fit but it didn't.

"Shhhh…" she whispered as she held a finger to his lips. "Don't go saying things you don't really mean or feel."

"It just happens."

"I know."

"Bye."

"Bye."

With that she shut the car door and turned on the ignition and backed out of the driveway. He walked towards the front door. The whole family knowing what had happened all of them back in the same house and for once everything felt normal as if he were still in High School and Megan had just pulled a prank on him and Josh.

Drake said nothing as he joined his family as they hung their stockings and ate the cookies. He even accompanied them with guitar as they sang Christmas carols. Mindy joining their family because hers was too stuck up in their own ways to care that their daughter needed them and that mistakes do happen, and sometimes they happen for a reason.

* * *

A/N: Okay so there you go this is by far my favorite chapter in this whole fic. I don't know why but I had the best time writing it, it took me like 3 hours though...hell it's summer vacation and I'm intent on finishing this story so I can finish the Megan one. But I hope you like this chapter...I think it's the longest I've ever written...enjoy.

-Morgan


	15. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Chapter Fifteen

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

(Because that's the only word that fits)

It'd been a few months since Taylor and Drake had called it off both knowing that it was all for the better.

Christmas came and went and Josh and Mindy were situated back at Harvard attempting to keep her pregnancy under wraps until they could transfer back home for more reasons that just the pregnancy, they both hated New England winters with a passion, it was just too cold.

Drake had decided that it was best he move out of his parent's house and was currently in the process of condo shopping. He'd gone on a few more dates with Lillah knowing the whole time that it felt right with her but he grew worried that things between them would fade like they did with every other girl he'd ever liked.

Lillah was going to UCLA majoring in Film and Media Arts with a minor in music. They hung out on the weekends. Drake soon realized that spending time apart was the key to a relationship. You couldn't just make out with a girl or live with her in your car, for 24/7 and expect every time you met to be special.

Drake had also asked her if she wanted to do a few duets with him on his next CD. He was working on a few songs and only had three. Sunset Records wanted another one out by next Christmas. Girls were apparently demanding his music on MTV so he'd gotten another shot to play live on TRL as a break-out artist. He gladly obliged and sales for his CD shot up as teenage girls around the world were buying it. Lillah asked if she could direct a music video for him for her final project. He agreed figuring that it'd get air time on MTV.

Drake had found the perfect condo on the outskirts of Beverly Hills, close to UCLA but far enough away where he didn't feel like he was living with Lillah.

He was sitting on the counter talking with his manager about the music video coming up.

"I know, I know. What song do you want it for again?" Drake asked as he held a list of his favorite songs in his hand. "No, ugh I hate that song." Drake complained in disgust. "I already told you what I wanted to do; I want to do In the End. No I don't care if you like Hollywood Girl. I'm the artist and I'll do what I want." He yelled as he jumped off the counter to let Lillah in.

"Fine we'll discuss this later but I already have what I want in mind. Yeah, I've got to go." He said as he hung up the phone.

"Sorry I'm late." She apologized a she grabbed a bottle of water out of his fridge. "I was talking to my film teacher about the project it's due in two months."

"I was just talking to Roger about it. He wants me to do Hollywood Girl but I'm fighting for In the End."

"As the artist you should do whatever the hell you want." She said as she sat down at his kitchen table.

"I know right. So back to video talk Roger says he can provide us with all the technical aspects of this project. You know cameras, sound equipment, props, and whatnot." Drake rambled.

"So I've listened to this song and I've come up with an idea based around what you told me." She started but stopped when she realized he wasn't paying attention.

"Lil… stop. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I need a vacation." He sighed being a star wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Drake didn't take into account all the work that went into it. He thought it was all about sitting back and basking in the glory of himself.

"You want to go to the beach or something?" She asked as she walked over and placed her arms around his shoulders.

"You want to watch a movie? Here instead?" He asked as she rested her chin on his head.

"Whatever you want."

"You know what I haven't seen in such a long time?"

"What?"

"Star Wars. I love those movies." He laughed as he stood up. "Come on we'll make pop corn and just eat all this junk food and watch the original Trilogy because that's the best, after we've changed into pajamas and lounge in bed. And once we're done with that we'll watch Blues Brothers or Jurassic Park, or any other movie we want." Drake said as he pulled out his stash of junk food and poured bowls full of candy corn and gummie bears, grabbed bags of Apple Chips, Pop Corn, Cheese Balls, and any other thing else he wanted.

"Here take these." He said as she threw her a pair of his pajama pants as she stood by the foot of his bed. She put them on and took down her hair.

They crawled into his bed and he put New Hope into the portable DVD player that rested between both of them.

She fell asleep during the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back right when Luke was stranded on the Ice Planet Hath and just killed the weird llama thing. He had just started the Return of The Jedi and was at the best part of all time when Jaba the Hut had just been killed and Han Solo is unfrozen and they're fighting in the hovercrafts above the sand monster thing, when the phone rang. He checked his caller ID, Cambridge. It was Josh.

He picked it up, "Hey Josh what's up?"

"Nothing good Drake." He heard from the other line.

"What's wrong?"

"Well Mindy's in labor, she's just not even 7 months yet." Josh said worried.

"Where are you?" Drake asked.

"In the hospital they're trying to stop her labor but nothing's working."

"Did you call Mom and Dad yet?" Drake asked.

"Yeah, they're getting the next flight out of San Diego."

"You want me to come out there?" Drake asked knowing he could afford the flight from Los Angeles to Boston with no problem.

"If you wouldn't mind…"

"Josh, I'm your brother, I told you I'd be there for you." Drake said calmly.

"Thank you so much Drake. This means the world to me."

"I know it does brother. I'll get the next flight." Drake said as he hung up. He turned off the DVD player and woke Lillah up.

"Lil, get up." He said softly as he ran his hand through her hair.

"What?" She asked when she finally opened her eyes.

"I'm going taking the next flight to Boston, you coming with me?" He asked as he frantically threw clothes into a carry on bag.

"I was hoping we could work on the video this week considering it's spring break." She said confused.

"Lil, I've told you about my brother right?"

"Yeah. His girlfriend's pregnant right?" She asked making sure she had the right brother.

"Yeah well she's in labor and he wants me there because she's barely 7 months pregnant." Drake explained quickly as he grabbed a jacket off the kitchen table.

"Do you want me to go?" She asked as she stood in the doorway of his room.

"Yeah, I do." He said as he frantically searched for his car keys which she picked up off the counter.

"I'll drive." She said as she made sure all the lights were off and the doors were locked to his house.

They had gotten the next flight to Logan Airport which left in approximately three hours. They were sitting in a corner on the floor because the chairs were too uncomfortable to sit in. He had his head in her lap and he couldn't help but feel Josh's fear. The two were almost like twins he could always tell when something was bothering Josh and Josh could always tell likewise.

"You want something to eat?" He asked as he sat up.

"I'll go get us something." She offered as she stood up. She got up and walked to the Starbucks stand that was in the middle of the gates. She ordered herself a chai latte because coffee wasn't really her thing, and she ordered both of them a carrot cake muffin because that's what they always got when they went to Starbucks and he always got a Caramel Latte.

She walked back with their food. He was exhausted and she could tell. Ever since she had met him he'd shot almost what seemed like to superstar status and she knew it was hard on him. Everywhere they went people were snapping pictures with their camera phones or the paparazzi would follow him even if he was doing something as simple as going grocery shopping. She didn't care though, it wasn't the fact that he was famous that made her stay with him it was the fact that she knew he needed someone. He needed someone in the worst way, not some groupie that would satisfy him for one night, no the last thing he needed was that. He needed someone who didn't care about a physical romance, she wasn't just a girlfriend, he needed someone that he could talk to, vent to, someone that he could honestly truly love, and she was the one that could honestly give it to him.

She wasn't a needy person and knew that she was working harder than he was because she was still in college and had three years left of it. She never pressured him to be there for her more often and he never did the same with her. They barely had enough time together so that when they did have time it was meaningful. She never once begged him to sing a song for her or tell her about his past. She knew he played things close and she was open about everything. They were opposites she would talk just to have something to do. He'd sit and listen and tell her when enough was enough, but she was also empathetic and listened to him when he needed a shoulder and she comforted him when he needed to cry.

She sat down next to him and he placed his head on her shoulder.

"You are amazing." He said as she handed him the food.

"It happens." She smiled as she ran her hand through his hair.

He sighed he knew he loved her more than he could ever love Taylor. It wasn't that Taylor wasn't his opposite; she was, but an opposite that didn't quite fit him the way that Lillah's opposite did. Taylor needed someone better than him, someone that could support her because she didn't know where she was going, even when he picked her up that day at the diner. She didn't know what she wanted or where she was going and he didn't need that, he didn't. He just couldn't handle being a support pillar for someone. Lillah, she knew what she wanted and she knew who she was and where she was going. He wasn't there to try to make her who she was. Plus her goals coincided with his. She wanted to be the next Stephen Spielberg or the next Spike Lee, she and him both knew where their roads were leading. She needed to love someone and he needed to be loved.

"How long until the plane boards?" He asked. She looked at her watch it read 7:15. They'd been there since 4:50, three hours; the plane would start to board any time now.

"Any time now." She whispered.

His cell phone rang and he pulled it out of his jacket pocket and answered it.

"Josh, how's everything?" Drake asked quickly excited and relieved to hear from his brother.

"It's okay, she had the baby." Josh said a tone of reprieve and concern in his voice.

"So what is it?" Drake asked, he was an uncle, it was an odd feeling but he liked it none the less.

"Not telling you until you guys get here, but the baby's in Neonatal ICU, the lungs aren't fully developed." Josh explained.

"Will it be okay?"

"1 step forward 10 steps back, that's what the doctor told us. There's a chance that the baby won't make it but there's a chance that it will."

"I'm a betting man Josh, and I just have this feeling that everything is going to be okay."

"See you in a few Drake. Mindy and I are going to see the baby. They say the more you're around it the better the odds are."

"See you Josh."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Drake hung up the phone. The plane had started boarding as he was on the phone and Lillah had taken his bag for him. He got up and took it from her.

"Sorry about tonight." He apologized as he hugged her one handed.

"It's okay. You need someone here anyway." She said as she placed her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks." He whispered as he kissed the top of her head.

They boarded the plane and endured a long plane ride with bouts of sleep. They'd be at Logan by Midnight or a little after. They'd find a hotel and get directions from Josh in the morning to the Hospital that he and Mindy were staying at. Drake smiled, less than one year the two had traveled the country, Drake had learned how to love instead of 'love', Josh started pre-med, Drake became a rock star, Josh got Mindy pregnant and became a father, Drake an uncle, and once again Drake had lost love, or left it but it was for the better because here he was with the girl he knew he wanted to marry when the time was right.

"Lillah?" Drake asked softly testing to see if she was asleep or just resting. She opened her eyes and sat up straighter.

"We there yet?" She asked looking around the plane.

"No, not yet."

"What then?" She asked as she placed her head back down on his shoulder.

"What would you say if I asked you if you thought that this was it?" He asked slightly confusing the girl.

"You mean what would I say if you asked me if I thought that we were it? Like if this relationship was the last we'd ever have?" She repeated making sure she understood him correctly.

"Yeah, that's exactly it. What would you say because I'm asking you?"

She thought for a minute. She'd dated her fair share of guys and never felt anything like this before. She knew that she did want this to be it. Even though they'd have to wait for marriage they could at least test the next three years until she graduated and had some sort of career under her belt.

"I'd have to say that this feels right, well not really right but if I knew what 'it' felt like then I'd have to say that this feels like it. This feels like the relationship that's the last relationship we'll have." She said confusing herself but life was like that confusing.

"I agree."

She squeezed his hand tighter.

"So does this mean that we're promising each other that this is it?" She asked.

"I never make promises because life comes at you fast and unexpectedly and you never know what will happen. But this time I'll make an exception to that rule because no matter what life throws at me, us, I know we'll be there for each other. So yeah, I guess we are promising each other that this is it." He said as he smiled. It felt good to say that to someone, promising someone that you'd always be there for them. It was commitment; Drake Parker was committing himself to someone for once in his life. Commitment was the one thing that he'd always ran away from but this past year Drake Parker wasn't the Drake Parker that he used to be. He'd learnt to open up and now here he was learning to commit to someone to something. He couldn't back out now, he'd promised, and that was okay with him.

The plane landed at Logan sometime after midnight. Drake and Lillah slept at a Best Western nearby and arrived at the Hospital exactly at 8 when visiting hours started.

"Okay, we've got them a gift, now let's see the maternity ward is on the third floor and their room is 312." Drake said as they stepped into the elevator.

They got out on the third floor and found room 312. They pushed the door open and walked in. Mindy was eating contently in her bed, Josh was watching TV. Both of them had decided to change majors and transfer over to UCSD where they could easily commute and leave their baby with Audrey and Walter during the day. They were both going to become English majors, Josh studying classical literature and Mindy studying more modern.

"Drake, you made it." Josh said excited as he hugged his brother.

"Yeah, I, I mean we did." Drake said noting Lillah whose arm was linked in his. "Josh this is Lillah, my girlfriend." Drake introduced her to his brother. "Lil, this is Josh my brother and that's Mindy his soon to be wife."

"Oh don't go jumping the gun yet." Mindy laughed. "We're pre-engaged."

"Here Mindy, Josh, we got you something." Drake said as he handed a gift bag over to his pre-sister-in-law.

"You didn't have to Drake." She said.

"Oh come on. It gives you something to look forward too."

Mindy opened the bag to find a jump suit that said, 'My uncle is a rock star', she laughed and then opened the tiny converse and the unisex jumpers in yellow, green, and white.

"Oh Drake, you didn't have to." She said once again.

"It was honestly no problem. So am I going to find out if I have a niece or a nephew any time soon?" He questioned.

"Well if you want to see the baby you can. They're only allowing immediate family only and well, I think you count as immediate family." Josh said as he led his brother out of the room. "Mindy you keep Lillah company." Josh added as Mindy just shooed him away.

"So Drake, is she the one that you had that semi affair kiss with?" Josh asked as they walked towards the Neonatal ICU.

"Yeah, she's the one." Drake sighed.

"You love her, I can tell you do. You love her more than you loved Taylor."

"Yeah…" Drake exhaled. "You have no idea how much I love her. Josh we've been together almost half a year and I'm not bored of her yet. I mean, she just understands everything Josh. I don't need to say anything to her; she just knows what I want and what I need. Josh, we haven't even had sex yet." Drake explained as they stood outside the door.

"Drake…wow, that's impressive." Josh stated in awe. His brother normally judged how much he liked a girl by how good their sex was.

"Yeah I know. So when do I find out?" Drake asked changing the subject.

"Now, you'll find out now. You've just got to take some precautions such as washing your hands first." Josh informed his brother as they entered the room.

Something that should be celebrated, the birth of a child, seemed as though it was something to fear in this room. There were 5 babies in here, 3 out of the 5 in incubators with tubes and monitors everywhere, the other 2 were twins, their parents holding both of them, the doctors telling them that they could take them home in a few more days.

"Here we are." Josh said as they walked up to one of the more closely guarded incubators. "She only weighs 3lbs." Josh smiled as he looked at his daughter who was fighting for her life at that very moment. "If you look closely you will see that she looks just like me, only a hell of a lot smaller." Josh laughed.

"So I have a niece to spoil." Drake smiled as he looked at the tiny girl in the incubator. "She's like the size of your hand." Drake noted as Josh put his hand inside the incubator.

"I know, it's crazy right?" He asked as he motioned for Drake to put his hand in there too. "She won't bite and you won't hurt her." Josh added as he noticed Drake's hesitation.

"Does she have a name yet?" Drake asked as she attempted to wrap her tiny fingers around his pinkie.

"No, but I think she likes you. She hasn't done that with anyone else." Josh smiled and Drake smiled back at him.

"You have any names in mind?" Drake said looking down at the girl. Josh was right she did look a lot like him and not a lot like Mindy. "It's insane how much she looks like you." Drake stated.

"I know. She doesn't look like Mindy at all. We'll we don't know what color eyes she has yet. If she has brown then she won't look like Mindy at all."

"So any names yet?" Drake asked again.

"You want to name her?" Josh asked his brother.

"Are you serious? You'd let me name your first born?" Drake asked astonished that his brother would even think of that.

"Yeah, I talked to Mindy about it; she doesn't care as long as you don't name her something stupid like Candy or after some guitar." Josh said confirming that he meant it when he said that Drake could name her.

"So I can't name her flutternutter or Mocha Cola?" Drake joked as he seriously thought about it. "But can I name her after a musician?" Drake asked his brother. He needed to make sure that her name was one that Josh and Mindy liked because she'd be stuck with that name for life.

"Um…sure as long as it's not like Paul or something."

"Don't worry, I've thought about this name for awhile." Drake said because he knew exactly what he'd name her. "I was going to name my first daughter, if I ever have one, this, but she deserves it more." Drake said.

"So what is it?" Josh asked looking his brother in the eyes.

"Lennon, after John Lennon, but don't worry it's a girls name too. I looked it up in a book of baby names." He explained.

"Lennon…" Josh breathed testing it out.

"Do you like it?" Drake asked as he placed his free arm on his brother's shoulder.

"Yeah, I do. But what about a middle name?" Josh asked.

"Lennon Noelle." Drake said.

"What I want to know is when and where Drake Parker thought of baby names." Josh joked. He knew that Drake was sensitive underneath it all; he just needed to be out of High School where impressions meant everything to who you were and what your life was like.

"Like I told you earlier, I've changed Josh. Sure I love playing in front of thousands of screaming girls who occasionally throw themselves at me; I don't like chasing them anymore. After Taylor I realized that all I needed was someone to love me unconditionally. Someone who needed to love someone and be loved back but not all the time, because Josh I can't love someone all the time, I just can't."

"I know. And let me guess Lillah doesn't need you to love her all the time, she's fine loving you because that's all she wants is someone to love."

"Confusing isn't it. I mean we love each other in every aspect of the word. But I just can't give her attention 24/7, she knows that and she understands that and she respects my space when I need it. But she knows what I want before I know what I want. She knows what I need before I do. And I don't know how I can be so close to her and not want to be any closer, at least physically."

"Hey, let me see if I can get them to change this sign." Josh said indicating the name sign. As of now it said 'Baby Nichols'. "She has a name now."

Drake smiled. Her fingers were still wrapped around his pinkie. She was so small and so frail. She needed machines to do everything for her. Drake knew that she was going to make it. He had no doubt in his mind that she wouldn't. Josh never gave up and neither did Mindy. She'd make it, she was surrounded by family that loved her and had supported her from conception. Sure Mindy and Josh weren't exactly prepared for her both at the time of her conception and her birth. But Drake knew better, everything happened for a reason and this was happening for a reason. Josh needed to let go of trying to be perfect because he wasn't, Mindy too. Hell Mindy was institutionalized for a year because she had to be perfect.

Drake had felt the change the day he realized that Taylor wasn't the one. He'd felt that instant gratification part of his brain shut down. When he kissed Lillah he felt the Drake he'd hidden long ago come back in all his glory. Drake had realized that it was time to grow up, that his game of I'm going to be cool charades was over, he'd won, and he'd fooled the masses but he'd ended up fooling himself in the process.

"There got it changed. Did I spell it right?" Josh asked. The sign now read Lennon Noelle Nichols.

"Yeah, you spelled it right."

"She's still holding on."

"Yeah, it's still amazes me how tiny she really is."

"Maybe you should consider staying here. I mean, they did say that anything helps, singing and what not and since neither Mindy nor I can sing I was wondering if…." Josh began but Drake shushed him.

"I'll stay. Josh I wouldn't want anything else at this point in time." Drake said as she finally let go. "Look she knows that I'll stay here." Drake laughed as he took his hand out of the incubator. "Mom and Dad coming soon?"

"They should be here by now." Josh said looking at his watch.

"See you later Len." Drake whispered as they left the room.

"Drake, you surprise me sometimes." Josh said when they were in the hallway.

"Yeah I've surprised a lot of people."

* * *

A/N: Haha, wow I am on a role here. Don't say I didn't promise you that once summer vacation came around I'd be writting more, because I did and I kept that promise. Okay so I know Drakes kind of becomming a little OOC but I figure that I told you guys that in the summary, if you had read it. So you can't get all pissy at me because of it. And I figure that Drake Parker would soon realize that his life was going to be empty and devoid of any feeling if he kept up with his usual antics any longer. So read and enjoy because I've given you enough to keep you satisfied for a while what with my other story about Megan...achlem, check out the M ratings.

-Morgan


	16. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Chapter Sixteen

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

4 years later

Drake had spent the past four years taking care of Lennon because it was what Josh had asked him to do that night in the hospital so long ago. It was now that Drake was getting tired of bringing her around everywhere, recording studios, live interviews, photo shoots, whatever he was doing in the day she had to be there.

For all the things Drake had ever done for Josh this was probably the most inconvenient, it wasn't like he hated Lennon, he loved her to death, but she was becoming more like his own child than she was Josh's, and Drake wasn't ready for a child of his own yet. Drake was just thankful that this was all about to end soon. Mindy had decided that pre-law was just too intense and with Josh having to go on to med school she didn't want to have to push Lennon on Drake for at least four more years, so she changed to an English major with a teaching degree so she could spend the summers with her daughter and be home when she got home. Life would be easier on all of them.

If you had known Drake Parker 6 years ago the only thing you would recognize about him would be his dark hair and dark eyes. Sure he was still the party loving, rock star, that he'd wanted to be and sort of was in High School, but this Drake Parker had priorities, deadlines to make, a niece to take care of, and a fiancé, the one thing that 17 year old Drake Parker would never have imagined his would be doing.

The day he knelt down to one knee and asked Lillah to marry him was the day when he knew he'd grown up. It was the day he knew that commitment was going to be a part of his life forever, he couldn't turn back now. He couldn't decide that she wasn't the one; he'd dated far too many girls to know that there wasn't anyone else that he'd rather be with. And that was a change Drake Parker had been willing to make.

Here it was a perfect San Diego day, the sun shining high, a slight breeze in the air, high in the low 70's, a perfect fall day perfect for the wedding of Drake and Lillah, a wedding that no one would have ever expected to happen, a wedding that no one would have expected to last this long, that was any one who knew Drake Parker.

Drake and Josh were getting ready at the church while Lillah and the other girls in the wedding party were getting ready at his house. Audrey had made a big deal about her sons wedding and she had fallen in love with Lillah and considered her as her own daughter. Audrey had never expected, much like everyone else, that Drake would actually walk down the aisle, at least not before Josh and Mindy did.

Drake and Josh were getting ready with the other guys in the wedding party. The other groomsmen were the members of Drake's band, his best man was obviously Josh. It was his brother who'd gotten him into this whole mess, though he was sure he'd have met Lillah later on if they were meant for each other, which Drake was starting to believe because he'd never felt the way he did with her, with any other girl.

Drake wanting to get away from all of this wedding talk, no one would leave him alone about actually getting married in the first place, the public or his family and friends. It was almost like it was some big joke and Drake was sick of people making a big deal out of his relationship. All the jokes about how long this would last made him nervous that it wouldn't last long, only because Drake worried about himself. He worried that he'd made a mistake, that she wasn't the right girl that someone else out there was. He was worried that he'd get bored with her like everyone else. But he kept telling himself that four years was long enough to know and if he wasn't bored with her yet then he wouldn't be for hopefully a long time.

Drake jumped into his car and drove to the nearest grocery store, not knowing where else to go. He realized that he'd look awkward in his tuxedo pants and shirt with vest; he didn't bother to bring the jacket because it was just too much.

He got out and walked down the canned foods aisle, aimlessly walking gazing at the cans of corn, squash, and beans, second guessing his intentions on marry Lillah White. That's when he saw her, standing there, holding a can of carrots. He didn't recognize her, what with her longer hair, her Jackie-O sunglasses and her expensive clothes. He did a double take and figured it was some kind of sign. He was here second guessing himself wasn't he? And she just happened to be there, standing there like a sign with a can of carrots in her hand. It was all too perfect, it had to be a sign, it had to be.

"Taylor?" He questioned as she took off the sunglasses and looked at him, standing there in a tux.

"Drake?" she said shocked as she took a few steps back. "How long has it been?"

"Four years." He stated running a hand through his hair. "I see you've done well."

"Yeah, I'm a professional photographer. I actually just finished a photo shoot with Paris Hilton for Vanity Fair. It pays the bills and then some." She explained.

"Yeah, that's awesome." He said lost for words, she'd done it; she'd made it in the world. "Why are you here in San Diego?" He questioned.

"Visiting some friends. Why are you here? In a tux?"

"I'm getting married today." Drake stated sounding like he was telling her the weather, rather then being excited about getting married.

"That's great. I've heard that you've made a name for yourself. You're bands pretty good; my roommate is obsessed with you. She didn't believe me when I told her that I spent a summer with you." Taylor said as she recalled that summer four years ago.

"Yeah, that summer…" Drake trailed kicking himself for ever dumping Taylor, why couldn't he have both girls and that was when Drake Parker realized why he was destined to be a bachelor because he liked too many girls and he couldn't expect any one girl to be perfect for him because there would always be something he loved more about another girl that came along.

They both stood there not saying anything, both awkward because they both knew that they missed that time, both of them. Both scared to admit that since they'd split they'd been missing something from their lives.

"Well, I've got to go get back to my friends, we're having a party. It was nice to see you again Drake." Taylor said as she started to walk away.

"You too." He said coolly.

She started to walk off when he called out her name. She turned around and stood before him and all that flashed through his mind was that afternoon in the bathroom in D.C. when he kissed her and nothing in the world had felt better than that kiss at that moment. It was like a bad movie playing over and over again in his mind. That summer flashing before him like a slide show of memories. The picking her up at the truck stop in Nevada, the kiss in D.C., the Holiday Inn in Hershey, the Hostel in New York, the trip back. It was all what he'd needed all along; it was what had changed him. It was why he wrote Down We Fall. It was why everything had happened to him. That stupid road trip was why he was standing here right now because without it nothing in his life would have never have been what it was right this very moment.

He watched her standing there, ten times more gorgeous than she ever was, carrying an air of confidence that she never had that entire trip, and she had found her way. She had a name for herself. He wanted her so badly at that moment and he couldn't control any of it. Lillah wasn't a word in his vocabulary, if asked right now he couldn't describe her all, all he could see was Taylor.

It was stupid, he was stupid, everything he'd ever done in life was stupid, but this, this was the stupidest thing he'd ever done. Kissing Taylor in the canned food items of the local stop in shop, throwing away everything he had going for him. The kiss that brought him back to reality, the kiss that made him realize that he was breaking another woman's heart, he was breaking two women's hearts. Just knowing he had to go back to that church and be faithful to another woman killed him inside. It killed him knowing that he half cheated on Lillah. It killed him knowing that this encounter would haunt him. That every time he kissed Lillah from here on out would feel like kissing Taylor.

"I've got to go." She whispered as she turned and left quickly.

Drake stood there cursing himself inside for his own stupidity. He was the one that broke up with Taylor, he was the one who kissed Lillah when he was still with her, he was the one that asked Lillah to marry him, and he was the one that kissed Taylor. He was the one that had screwed up his own life back from the start of it all.

"Fuck…" He whispered as he tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall at any moment. He ran back to his car dodging shopping carts and people. He sat there for a few minutes crying and kicking himself for even thinking of kissing her. He turned on the ignition and hurried back to the church. He dried his face and made sure that it wasn't tear stained, composed himself and pretended that nothing happened between them at all. It was just a dream that's what it was, a dream.

No one questioned where he'd gone except Josh and he just told him that he needed a drive to clear his mind. Josh just told him that he was doing the right thing and that he knew that Drake loved this girl and that she loved him and that he'd never find anything better.

The ceremony went on without a hitch and Lillah looked beautiful in her Vera Wang dress, hair falling over her shoulders in soft curls, she never looked more beautiful but Drake still couldn't shake the image of Taylor out of his mind. Their first kiss as husband and wife felt wrong, Drake still could taste Taylor, but also Lillah and the thought of both of them was comforting in a twisted way.

Their reception was at a small hotel in San Diego, near the beach. Not exactly rock and roll but the band made up for it.

They danced to their song, Just the Way You Are, by Billy Joel and they did the whole couple thing, getting advice from their elders but still Drake couldn't stop playing that summer, four years ago, in his mind.

He left under the excuse that he was going to go talk to people but instead he went out and sat on the upper balcony where no one was and he was thankful, because he needed to be alone.

He sat there and watched as the sun set on the Pacific and thought about his life up to here. He questioned leaving Lillah but he knew that he loved her more than anything but it scared him that he couldn't stop thinking about Taylor. She looked so goddamn perfect standing there, the passion she felt for him still a flame in her eyes. The kiss unleashing everything they'd bottled up about the other over the past four years. But he kept coming back to the same question as he sat there, the one conclusion that proved that he didn't love her as much as he thought he did, and that question was; If he had really honestly loved her why didn't he try to find her those past four years, and likewise with her. That's when Josh came up and interrupted his train of thought.

"Drake, here you are Lillah's looking for you." Josh said as he studied his brother and knew that something was wrong. He sat down next to his brother. "You want to talk about it?" He asked knowing that Drake would if he wanted to. Knowing that he came out here to think about it and that it had to be something big, whatever it was.

"I kissed her." He said eyes fixed on the horizon.

"Yeah, you two got married." Josh trailed a little confused.

"Not Lillah Josh, I kissed _her_."

"Who's _her_?" Josh asked confused.

"Four years ago Josh we took that stupid road trip and we changed everything about our lives that summer. Well at least I did." Drake said recalling the summer that was playing over and over in his mind.

"You kissed Taylor a long time ago Drake. Why are you bringing this up? It was four years ago. I thought you two decided that what you did was right."

"Josh, I kissed her today. This afternoon at the grocery store when I left. Josh all I keep seeing in my head is that day in D.C. when we had that massive fight in the reflecting pool of the Washington monument, that day when Taylor and I kissed in the bathroom of the hotel. Josh…what the hell is wrong with me?" Drake questioned tears falling down his face. "Why can't I just love one woman? Why can't I just like what I have? Why do I have to screw it up all the time? Why the _hell_ can't I just commit? Why Josh why?" Drake cried as he placed his head in his hands. "I love both of them. I want them both. Taylor was so fucking gorgeous today and so was Lillah. When I kissed Lillah today all I could feel was Taylor. What the fuck is wrong with me?" He cried harder. "I hate this so much. I hate feeling like this."

Josh sat there not knowing what in the world to say to comfort his brother. There was nothing he could say. There was nothing he could do but let him cry and be here for him.

"Drake…" Josh began but couldn't find any words that would justify anything that Drake was feeling. There was no advice that he could give. "There is nothing wrong with you." He finally managed to come up with.

"Yeah there is Josh."

"If you had loved Taylor like you love Lillah you would have called her a long time ago. Then again you never would have dumped her." Josh said.

Drake knew that the whole time, he just needed to hear it from someone else to know that it was true.

"I know."

"Then why are you still thinking you love Taylor? You don't. So what if you kissed her and it felt good. It felt good when I kissed her too and cheated on Mindy. But Drake look, I loved Mindy more, I knew that I wouldn't get any better than her. Taylor's got this thing about her I guess that makes men second guess what they want. You want Lillah, you know that. You never asked Taylor to marry you. So just forget about it and go back to your wife. Because Drake, you're never going to find anyone who loves you more than Lillah does." Josh half yelled at his brother who took the verbal abuse because he knew that he needed to hear it from someone else. "Does that make you feel any better?" Josh asked as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're right Josh. I just don't know. This isn't something I'm used to. These past few years have been crazy. I mean I find myself wishing I was still back in High School, that we were still back there. You know sharing that room, trying to get by with a new brother, trying to enjoy high school and survive Megan's pranks. God Josh where did it all go? I mean we used to do everything together. Remember when we needed that break from each other but just ended up with those lame replacements Drew and Jerry?" Drake said as a faint smile passed over his face.

"Yeah…" Josh reminisced with his brother. He too had begun to miss those days.

"Who could forget Hollywood? That was amazing I mean even though we did get kidnapped by those two thugs, well it was your fault, kind of, but man we got to ride in Tony Hawks viper, I played on TRL because of you and no doubt am what I am now because of it. But Josh, part of me wants to go back to those days of sharing a room with you. I want to go back so badly Josh. I miss it being just the two of us." Drake sighed as he looked up at his brother.

"And to think that we hated each other." Josh laughed as he recalled their younger years.

"Sorry about that stupid foam finger. I never meant to ruin your childhood and it was Megan that threw the cookie." Drake laughed which felt good.

"God we did so much together."

"You said it bro. I just miss it. I miss our little schemes and getting into trouble together."

"We'll still hang out. Mindy and I are going to live in L.A. while I go to med school." Josh said as he realized that yes their lives were changing.

"Josh I still can't believe these last four years. We grew up so quickly."

"I know what you mean, I'm a father." Josh smiled as he thought about his three year old daughter.

"Yeah and I'm a rock star."

"Funny how we both got what we wanted so quickly."

"Yeah, but I couldn't have done any of this without you." Drake said as he thanked his brother.

"No I couldn't have done this without you." Josh said. "You were the one that sent Megan on the wrong plane. If you hadn't done that we never would have had to fly to L.A. I never would have met that guy in the bathroom and you never would have been offered that deal at Spin City Records."

"We both were to blame for our lives turning out like this." Drake said softly. "I owe you so much Josh."

"We owe each other nothing. We owe it all to our parents. If they hadn't met we'd have gone on hating each other. You would have never thought of talking to a dorky kid like me and I would have been too shy to talk to someone as cool as you." Josh said because he'd just realized that it was true.

"No, we owe our other parents, my birth father for being a jack ass and your birth mother, or the guy that killed her, as morbid as that sounds." Drake smiled. "It was meant to be Josh Nichols. We were meant to meet, we were meant to be here right now. We had no idea how much we needed each other. I needed you to open my eyes to the rest of the world not Drake Parker's little bubble. I lived in a bubble Josh that was until you came along and made me realize that people weren't out to please me."

"And I needed you to help me get over my insecurities about myself. You helped me after that incident on the news and you helped me get my girlfriend back, you gave me advice on being cool and trying new things like trying out for the football team. I mean sure we hated each other at points. Who could forget what landed us on the Dr. Phyllis show."

"She was a moron." Drake laughed.

"She didn't realize what had happened before all those fights. I don't think we even did. We just never saw eye to eye on everything."

"That happens; man that show was a waste of our time. Fights happen, you can't expect to people with nothing in common except their parents love for one another to get along all the time."

"I'm still shocked that we even learned to co-exist in the beginning. The fact that we're this close now still shocks me." Josh smiled as he looked at his brother.

"Yeah, it is amazing. Josh promise me that you'll never leave." Drake said after a few minutes.

"As long as you promise the same."

"I do."

"Then so do I."

"Every Friday night is guy's night out." Drake laughed as he sat up straighter.

"Totally." Josh laughed. "Hug me brother?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Drake laughed as he hugged his brother like they had so many times before.

"Now dude get back to your wife." Josh added as he shoved his brother back inside.

"What would I do without you?" Drake asked as Josh followed him inside.

"You would cease to exist."

The two entered the reception area with smiles on their faces both not knowing where the next four years would take them, where the next 10, 20, 70 years would take them. Both knowing that the other would be there whenever the other needed them, because that's what they did, they were brothers, and it didn't matter if they weren't birth brothers, they were brothers and that's what brothers do, they're there for the other when the other needs it.

The night concluded and all thoughts of Taylor were far from Drake's mind and all thoughts of his life with Lillah were now flooding his mind. Thoughts of the future weren't clear but Drake didn't care anymore. He didn't need to know now if he and Lillah weren't going to last and he didn't care he was happy now and he had his instant gratification, he had his warm brownie soup, and that was all he needed.

He smiled as he carried his wife through the doorway to their hotel room and threw her on the bed both of them laughing.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked coquettishly as she smiled at her husband.

"I'm smiling because I have all that I need right here." He said as he kissed her gently.

"Perfect because you're all that I want."

The two laughed and ended what was the perfect night for them both. Both knowing that this moment would happen their entire lives. Both unsure of the future, but both knowing that the other would be there because they had this bond that they'd never had before. Both only wanting one thing and that was the other, both knowing that they were what the other needed. Knowing that they completed each other.


	17. It's Been Awhile

Chapter Seventeen

It's been awhile

A few months later

Drake knew that it'd happen before he'd wanted it too. He was just lucky that he was married to the woman he knocked up, four months into their marriage and he came home to find out that she was about a month pregnant. He was the least to say elated because now he would finally be a father instead of just an uncle, he was also a little worried because he always gave Lennon back at the end of the day.

Drake stepped off the airplane onto the tarmac in Oakland. Josh and Mindy had recently moved to San Francisco because Josh was going to Berkley for med school and Mindy had told Josh that it was a better place to raise their daughter.

Drake placed his sunglasses on his eyes and walked to the rental agency, he was only spending a few nights here and didn't to check any bags.

He put the keys into the ignition of the cherry red viper, just like Tony Hawks and drove off towards San Francisco only about a half hour drive.

Drake traveled past the University of San Francisco and past Golden Gate Park he saw the famous Golden Gate Bridge on the horizon and pulled out the Beatles Abbey Road cd which he had in his bag and placed it in the CD player. He skipped ahead to song number seven then paused it waiting for the moment he started across the bridge.

When his tires hit the pavement of the Golden Gate Bridge Drake pressed play on the CD player and Here Comes the Sun started with that guitar solo that was so unmistakable. Drake smiled as he mentally checked off one of the things on his 'to do before I die' list which was listen to Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles while crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in a red convertible with the top down.

The sun showered down on him warming him as he drove over to his brother's house to catch up on life.

It was at this moment that he knew that he'd made it. He was who he was always meant to be, he was Drake Parker. He'd made it. He'd finally learned the true meaning of growing up and he no longer had his Peter Pan complex to deal with. He wasn't scared of commitment or work any more. It was right then as the combination of sun, car, music, and surroundings hit him all at once that he knew that he had grown up. He was no longer the trouble making, class skipping, womanizing, and slacking off, Drake Parker that everyone knew him as. He was a famous rock star, devoted husband, and father to be. It was the ending of all movies. The perfect ending, his sun had definitely come and he wasn't about to let it slip away like he had so many other things in his life.

Drake Parker found himself that day. He felt the weight of worry, the weight of insecurities, the weight of his past lift from his shoulders as the smile returned to his face, the ice melted from inside him, and the long cold lonely winter of his past melted in the car that day.

* * *

**A/N:** sorry that chapter was a little short this story is almost over I think I have one more chapter left and then it's the end. cries I love this story and it's my favorite story that I have ever written, and also currently the longest. I'm going to write an epilogue which will be the official end to this story. I probably could have made this chapter longer, what with a trip to Josh's and Mindy's but I didn't feel like writing filler because I hate filler in stories, it's a pain to write and it's a pain to read. Plus I didn't know what they'd talk about. Okay so this is a long authors note so I'm going to end it and now you can look forward to my finishing's of Affectations (which will probably be a shorter story) and She's Never Heard (which I still need to figure out what happens) so there will be more from me and I'm still trying to come up with a title for this story. I'm almost there, almost had one today. Anyway expect more from me.

-Morgan


	18. Slide Show Memories Passing Before Me

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

Slide Show Memories Passing Before Me

Roughly 10 years later

Promises had come and gone with the years that passed so quickly before the two brothers. Josh had completed medical school and was now a top neurosurgeon in Los Angeles at the age of 32. He had patients flying to him from around the country and even some from around the globe.

After he had completed med school he and Mindy moved back to L.A. where they could be closer to their family and they had realized that they liked Southern California more than they liked Northern California.

Lennon was now thirteen years old and Josh and Mindy had decided to have another child a few years back and she was now 5.

Drake and Lillah were still together and everyone had eventually left them alone because Drake had actually meant what he had promised her this time.

Their son Dylan aptly named after the singer Bob Dylan was ten years old and their daughter Melissa was 6.

Even though Drake and Josh had promised to stay in touch with each other over the years, they rarely talked for more than a few minutes on the phone every month, sometimes not even that often. Josh was living in the area but neither one could find the time to visit. Josh was busy at the hospital and Drake was busy with his career, he'd tried acting and his fan base grew even larger when they realized he wasn't half bad at it either.

Christmas day 2020 was cool and overcast a rare sight in San Diego. Drake and Josh were sitting next to each other on the blue couch that they'd spent so many times sitting next to each other on before, years and years ago.

They both had a can of mocha cola in front of them; Drake had made sure his wasn't diet this time. Megan was 25 and starting a life of her own. It was odd to think that this house was empty and their parents were in the process of selling it and had told their children that everything they'd left here was up in the attic and if they wanted anything they would have to take it home with them today.

"We should probably go look through that stuff." Josh said as he stood up off the couch.

"Yeah, you're right, we probably should." Drake agreed as he got up off the couch too and headed up the stairs with his brother. "God I hate going into the attic so much." Drake cringed as they passed their kids running down the hallway.

"Daddy what are you and Uncle Josh doing?" Melissa Drake's daughter questioned as she stopped chasing the boys with her older cousin Lennon.

"Yeah why are you and Uncle Drake going into the attic?" Lennon asked. "Can we come with you?"

Drake and Josh looked at each other and smiled because they were going back to their past up here and they could share the stories with their children.

"We're going up here to look through our things we had when we were in high school." Josh explained to the two young children. "And you can come with us." He added as they all climbed the stairs to the attic.

It was dark, chilly, and everything was dust covered with a slight smell of mildew. Josh flipped on the light switch and what they saw was the remnants of their old room. The ladder from Drake's loft bed leaning against the wall, the faded red couch covered with a paint splattered cloth from when they had to repaint the kitchen after the salsa explosion. The bag of sheep food from when Megan forced them to take care of Baaaaab, and the inflatable pool which once was filled with chocolate milk that the boy's wrestled in after they made that stupid bet. This attic was filled with one too many memories of their past and both the men standing there were thrown back to their High School days.

"Drake, god, remember all this?" Josh asked as he threw the cloth off of the couch and sat down and pulled a plastic storage bin towards him.

"Like hell I do. God, this is so depressing. More depressing than seeing our room as an office slash gym." Drake stated as he sat down next to his brother and opened the lid to the box.

The foam finger and the bobble head were on top of the pile and Drake pulled out the finger.

"Who would have thought that a stupid foam finger would make us fight like we did that week?" Drake laughed as he recalled that night.

"You two fought over a foam finger?" Lennon asked her eyes wide.

"Yeah, your father thought that I purposely bought the last one at a Padre's game when we were eight, just to make him angry. Aunt Megan threw a cookie at us and we got into this huge fight that day." Drake began.

"But it didn't end there, we realized that it was the other one who'd been in that fight 8 years later and we fought over the stupid finger and Drake moved out of his room. We refused to talk to each other and anything we said to the other was an insult." Josh added.

"Did you guys fight a lot?" Melissa asked as she looked through the box pulling out the dress that Josh wore to be Miss. Nancy.

"Yeah, we fought a lot but we always made up." Drake said as he noted the dress his daughter was holding. "Josh wore that dress to give advice as Miss. Nancy." Drake laughed. "He looked so freaky and that was the first time I'd ever met the kid."

"Yeah but it was Drake who told me that wearing that dress was stupid."

They looked through the box some more pulling out the porkpie hats, the narrow ties, and the Ray Ban Wayfarers from their Blues Brothers performance at the Belleview High's Talent Show, which Drake won three years in a row to be exact. They found the billiards cue that Drake bought Josh, the game sphere that caused them so much grief, a package of golf balls, the alien costumes, Roberto Roboto, the potato launcher, the posters from their room, the license plates that crowned the wall, fake notes from doctors that Drake had written, and last they found the contract that they had written when they decided to give up junk food and video games.

Lennon grabbed the contract and read it. "And whoever caves must dye their hair pink?" she questioned as she read the words. "What was this all about?"

Drake and Josh looked at each other and just laughed.

"Should you tell the story or should I?" Josh asked his brother.

"I'll start you interject when necessary." Drake laughed as he began the story. "It all started when one of us was supposed to go pick Megan up before it rained. I was too busy watching Josh play video games and eating whatever junk food I could find. At that moment it was chips and chocolate sauce. Then Megan came home wet because it had rained. Well mom, grandma, came home and she was angry and grounded us for the night."

"We were both so angry at each other that we bet the other that we couldn't give up junk food and video games."

"Yeah, we were doing alright there; well I ended up taking to junk food."

"And I ended up playing with things like the blender and the microwave."

"But then one morning I woke up with this hideous facial rash."

"It was pretty bad and the doctor said that he should eat junk food. And knowing Drake at that time he'd do anything to get his face back. I thought he was going to lose the bet."

"But then Grammy, great-Grammy, had sent Josh an early birthday present, the game sphere. We both sat there trying to force the other to cave."

"Yeah, then Megan came up with the brilliant idea to sabotage the other to make him cave."

"Josh turned our room into a candy land, complete with cotton candy pillows, chocolate pool, and every single form of candy ever made. I nearly died."

"But Drake had his own plan; he plugged in the game sphere and played it in front of me. He even bought the wireless battle pad."

"We both stood there so angry knowing we couldn't use what the other one was using. Our weaknesses before us." Drake laughed as he recalled that day so clearly. "Josh was eating gummy bears and then we both caved I grabbed the gummy bears and he grabbed the game sphere controller and at that moment we realized we had caved. Standing in front of that chocolate pool I knocked Josh's Willy Wonka hat off and we dove at each other falling into the chocolate pool."

"We were wrestling each other, chocolate milk flying, we were soaked but we didn't care."

"All we could care about was figuring out who caved first so we wouldn't have to dye our hair pink. Then mom and dad came in and broke us up. Megan being the demon she was back then made us both dye our hair pink."

"Yeah and mom and dad had to dye their hair too. They had bet on both of us. So we dyed our hair, well Drake didn't he had worn a wig." Josh laughed. "Hey look at this…" Josh trailed as he pulled out a torn up piece of paper. "It's the marriage certificate from when you married Yuka.

"That was your fault Josh."

"True but I got you out of it didn't I?"

"Only after I found out she had a billion dollars."

They sat there the box in front of them. Recalling their past, they had done so much, they had become brothers and best friends.

"Who decides who gets what?" Josh asked his brother.

"I don't know I mean I guess we just take what was ours then." Drake said as he loaded the Mexican robot, the potato launcher and the golf balls. Plus all the other stuff that he had used to decorate the room.

"Josh…" Drake started as they stared at the foam finger and the bobble head that was left. "Which one do you want?"

"The bobble head because the foam finger was yours."

"Deal." Drake said as he loaded the foam finger into the bag.

"Did you two really do all of that stuff?" Melissa asked as they started to head down the stairs.

"We did all that and then some." Drake stated as he looked at his brother and smiled. "And the whole time we were doing that Megan was torturing us."

"She was terrible with pranks. She pulled them all the time. Gluing our butts to chairs, spraying us with water guns, and getting us into trouble." Josh added. "But she did do some good things for us."

"She proved to the school that Mindy, your mother Lennon, had framed me by putting Mrs. Haifers car into her classroom. Man I hated her so much." Drake recalled, that girl had almost got him suspended.

"Mom almost got Uncle Drake suspended and she put a car into a classroom?" Lennon asked her eyes wide.

"Yeah, she went to a mental rehabilitation center for a year because of it. Drake hated her."

"But she hated me too."

"You sprayed her with a hose."

"She framed me."

"She helped you get back with Tory."

"True but because of that I kissed hott Liza. She is the worst kisser ever oh and not to mention that when we were on Dr. Phyllis because of that Liza Tubbard we got into a street fight with Dr. Phyllis."

"It wasn't because of Mindy that we were on that show."

"True. I don't hate her now if that's what you're getting at." Drake said as they stood in the hallway.

"Which room was yours?" Melissa asked as she looked around the hallway.

"Yeah which room as yours?" Lennon added.

"It was up those stairs over there." Drake said as they all walked towards the stairs that led to their room.

They opened the door to find the office/workout room that their room had become.

"This room used to be so much cooler." Drake said as he placed down the bag. "My bed used to be up here where Grandma and Grandpa made a bookshelf. It had a ladder and everything."

"My bed used to be here, Drake would throw things at me when it was time to get up."

"The couch that was in the attic was right here." Drake said as he stepped down from the ledge and held his arms out to show where the bed was.

"And we had a coffee table here with two recliners and a TV. The computer used to be where that desk is now. And I fell out of that window so many times." Josh added as he walked over to the window.

"This room is so empty now." Drake sighed as he and Josh stood there together. The memories flashing through their minds.

"If you had asked me back then as we sat on that couch, what I thought my life would be like I could never in a million years have guessed that this is what it would be." Josh stated softly as he jumped up to sit on the ledge that used to be Drake's bed. Drake leaning against the side of the bed, only picturing that time they were trying to get back at Megan and he came up with that brilliant idea to freeze her.

"I would have told you that I'd be a rock star." Drake said. "But I couldn't have told you that I'd be married with children. That was something that 17 year old Drake Parker never wanted to think about."

"I wake up sometimes thinking I hear you mumbling in your sleep."

"I think I hear you snoring like a hobo. Lucky Mindy has to deal with that now."

"You want to go to the Premier? I wonder if Helen still owns the place." Drake wondered as he and Josh looked at each other that devious smile crossing their lips the look of adventure in their eyes.

"Dare I say it?"

"Say it."

"To the Josh mobile." Josh yelled as the two ran downstairs as fast as they could dodging the glares that their wives gave them as they ran out of the house their daughters in tow.

"What happened to that dune buggy?" Drake asked as they drove down the street to the Premier.

"Probably still in the garage. Why?"

"Just wondering where it was. Stop sign." Drake laughed as Josh almost ran the same stop sign that he'd run 14 years ago.

"Stop that." Josh laughed.

They pulled into the premier parking lot and walked in. The place had changed and there weren't as many people there as they both recalled.

They walked towards the back office hoping to find Helen there. She was sitting in her office, age getting the best of her.

"Helen is that you?" Drake asked as he walked through the door and stood in front of her desk.

"Drake Parker?" She said excited as she stood up from the desk. "How long has it been since I last hugged you?" She questioned as she pulled him into one of her strangling hugs.

"It's been awhile."

"And you're a little rock star now." She smiled. "Josh." She added.

"Helen."

"What brings you two here?" She asked

"Just wanted to see if you still worked here. We've been going through our past all day and we just wanted to know if the Premier was still standing." Drake smiled. "And it is and you were still here."

"You two spent most of your time here." She recalled as she sat back down at her desk. "Lucky you guys came here when you did because I sold the place, it's going to become one of those coffee shops that everyone wants. I hate to see this place go." Helen said as her face fell along with Drake and Josh's.

They stood there in silence it was true that things changed, people changed, places changed, life changed. They just hated to see everything that they ever knew change before their eyes. They were no longer the incredible duo of Drake and Josh, they no longer had their bat cave as so to say, and now their hang out was changing.

"Well Helen, we'll see you around." Josh said as they turned to walk out the door.

"Good luck you two." Helen said as she watched them leave the Premier.

As they got into the car Josh turned to his brother who was obviously fighting back tears too.

"Sucks that the Premier is leaving."

"Yeah it is." Drake said softly as he looked out the window.

"How old are we now?"

"32."

"We're old aren't we?"

"Yeah."

Neither could fight back the tears that were forming and they both let them fall freely down their faces in silence.

"I miss it." Drake coughed as they pulled into the driveway like they had when they were younger.

"I do too."

"Is this what it's going to be like when we're 80? Two old men crying because everything they knew from their past is gone? We'll be sitting in our rocking chairs in the nursing home scarfing down meatloaf like Murray and Francine Boshwit, saying, 'When we were your age my brother and I hid a sheep from our parents.'." Drake said as he opened the door and he and Josh walked towards the front of the car. Mindy and Lillah standing on the porch watching their husbands reminisce about their high school years. Smiling because they'd both known that they missed each other because they were the ones that had to hear it, they were the ones that had to listen to the stories of their past a million times over.

"Life's a bitch isn't it?" Drake asked Josh.

"Yeah it is." Josh sighed. "Knuckle touch?"

"No way." Drake smiled as Josh caught the look in his brother's eyes.

"Hug me brother?" Josh asked.

"You bet." Drake laughed as he hugged Josh once more. Knowing that wherever the next 10 years took them they'd still be brothers. They were no longer step-brothers because step-brothers hated each other, they were brothers. They were there for each other; they were each others best friends.

That road trip they'd taken fourteen years ago was supposed to be their last hurrah before college. They were supposed to finish the bond that they had started. But they did so much more than that on that road trip. Drake learned the true meaning of love and what it meant to finally grow up. Josh had learned to let go of all his insecurities and learn that life wasn't meant to be played by the rules. They'd both let go of their past, of their differences and truly learned to appreciate the other. They'd never forget their four years of High School or that infamous road trip that had changed their lives. They'd never forget Taylor or what she brought to the table and they'd never forget the changes they saw in each other.

* * *

Too many years to count later

Drake Parker and Josh Nichols lived out their days in Beverly Hills, a house away from each other. Walking their children out to the bus stop, having their schemes as adults, and watching their children grow up and move out. Watching their grand-children grow as well, even a few great-grand-children. Never getting tired of repeating the stories of their youth.

Mindy and Lillah passed away long before Drake and Josh did and their families had placed the two of them in a nursing home like they had always known they would be. Still fighting over their oatmeal and cream of wheat.

It baffled the nurses when they both died on the same day as they were playing game sphere, their half empty cans of mocha cola in front of them. It was written on their death records that their cause of death was too much excitement, a death that was laughable for anyone that had known Drake Parker and Josh Nichols.

The funeral ceremony was led by their daughters who had known the full story of their fathers. There wasn't a dry eye in the church nor was there anyone without a smile on their face because the things they did together were just that funny and heartfelt.

They were buried back in San Diego in a plot near their parents, next to their wives. Only Drake was buried on the right and Josh on the left to that they could be next to each other.

Rumor carried on through the ages said that if you stood by their gravesite you could hear them laughing, but no one really believed it because it could always be blamed on the wind. But then there were the true believers who knew that death wouldn't separate those two.

-The End-

* * *

**A/N: **Okay so there you have it this story is complete. I hope the ending wasn't too lame because I couldn't find a good spot to just end it. I hope it wasn't too sad, but I was kind of going for that in a way. Oh well, I have more stories that I'm working on so that should keep you satisfied for awhile. Plus I'm taking creative writing next year in school so the stories should just keep flowing. Plus with the new season coming soon I should have more things to write about. Hope you enjoyed this story.

-Morgan


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